Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Conversation

To Have Better Disagreements, Change Your Words

Here are 4 ways to make your counterpart feel heard and keep the conversation going.

Knowable Magazine

The Psychopathic Path to Success

Research is reframing psychopathic tendencies, an often sensationalized and maligned set of traits, and finding some positive twists.

Quanta Magazine

To Pay Attention, the Brain Uses Filters, Not a Spotlight

A brain circuit that suppresses distracting sensory information holds important clues about attention and other cognitive processes.

GQ

How to Thrift Shop Your Way to Victory

One veteran inveterate thrifter shares his secrets for bin-digging, rack-rifling success.

Aeon

How to Reduce Digital Distractions: Advice From Medieval Monks

They came up with some pretty quirky tricks to stay focused, but they may have been on to something.

Teen Vogue

151 Actually-Interesting Questions to Get to Know Someone

Get ready for some silly topics.

The Hustle

How a Real-Life Monopoly Made Monopoly the World’s Biggest Board Game

Monopoly now accounts for nearly one-third of all global board game sales, largely thanks to Hasbro’s own expansion strategy.

Afar

Charming College Towns With Off-Campus Appeal

Whether you’re touring colleges with your kids or there for extracurricular activities, these towns offer A+ fun.

WIRED

You Know It’s a Placebo. So Why Does It Still Work?

As researchers try to make sense of “open-label” placebos—fake drugs that proudly announce their fakeness—the mysterious effect is starting to show up beyond the world of medicine.

The Kitchn

How To Make Panna Cotta

Don’t be intimidated, it’s actually super easy.

Esquire

Has It Ever Been Harder to Make a Living As An Author?

Those who are trying (including Tom Perrotta, Ayad Akhtar, and more) tell us what it’s like.

Women’s Health

How to Identify and Heal From a Toxic Relationship, According to Therapists

Plus, experts debunk the biggest myths about unhealthy relationship dynamics.

Popular Collections

Curated guides to the best reads on the web

Pocket Collections

The Art of Navigating Thorny Office Politics

From bad bosses to gossipy colleagues and, of course, office refrigerator drama.

Today’s Pocket Hits

Saturday, August 9

Condé Nast Traveler

16 Golden Rules That Business Travelers Swear By

People who constantly hit the road for work share what they wish they’d known from the jump.

Lifehacker

Are ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods Really That Bad for You?

They’ve been linked to heart disease and other health conditions.

Saveur

That Chewy, Bouncy Texture You Love Has a Name

Whether in boba tea, cuttlefish, rice noodles, or cassava dough, the texture of QQ connects people across cultures and generations.

The Guardian

Knife Throwing and Cheeseburger Spinning: The Agony and Ecstasy of Being a Viral Trickshot Video Star

Think you could throw a basketball off a 540ft dam, into a hoop – while blindfolded? Meet the talented and ludicrously patient people putting hours into the internet’s most joyful (and pointless) clips.

The Associated Press

The World Nearly Beat Polio. But Fake Records, an Imperfect Vaccine and Missteps Aided Its Comeback.

The World Health Organization has closed in on its bold goal of eradicating polio several times, but the paralytic virus is entrenched in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Food52

Our 10 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes of All Time

From crispy to chewy, we’ve collected the best of the best.

The New Yorker

The Internet Wants to Check Your I.D.

New safety rules require users to verify their identities before gaining access to sites. This spells the end of the relative anonymity that we’ve come to expect online.

BBC

How ’Keep Calm and Carry On’ Became a Divisive 21st-Century Phenomenon

After a forgotten WW2 propaganda poster was discovered in 2000, it found an astounding new resonance in 21st-Century Britain – becoming an endlessly memeable template that is both cherished and mocked.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Outside

Is Whole-Body Cryotherapy the New Ice Bath? I Tried It to Find Out.

Dogsledding taught me how to endure the cold—but cryotherapy felt like a different beast. Here’s how my body reacted to the rising health trend.

ESPN

Pawol ‘Ready to Go’ Ahead of Breaking MLB Umpire Barrier

Jen Pawol will make her major league debut this weekend, becoming the first female umpire in a century and a half of big league baseball.

ZME Science

Helsinki Went a Full Year Without a Traffic Death. How Did They Do It?

Helsinkin strongly encourages public transit and cycling.

Euronews

Ready Furr Their Close-up: How Cats Became Hollywood’s Hottest Stars

This International Cat Day, Euronews Culture’s resident cat lady Amber Louise Bryce reflects on the rise of feline protagonists in cinema.

PS

I Tried the $160,000 Recovery Chamber That Pro Athletes Swear By

An editor tries the $160,000 Ammortal Chamber for recovery. Here’s her honest review.

Vox

It’s Supposed to Be Yelp for Men. There Are Some Problems.

Whisper networks apps are a bad idea, and not just because they make guys mad.

Condé Nast Traveler

The Best Things to Do in Prince Edward County, Ontario’s Outdoorsy Arts Enclave

How to experience the vibrant slice of cottage country—dubbed The County—between Toronto and Montréal.

BBC

Is Perrier As Pure As It Claims? The Bottled Water Scandal Gripping France

Claims that natural mineral water brands are filtering their water have shocked the country.

SELF

9 Exercises for Knee Pain to Help You Move (and Feel) Better

Strengthen and stretch your way to happier joints.

ESPN

It Has Never Been Tougher to Build an NBA Dynasty

The NBA is in the midst of a historic stretch of parity. Is that a good thing?

Real Simple

10 Summer Flowers That Peak in Late August

Add these bold and beautiful blooms to your garden now to brighten up any boring spots for the late summer and fall. Try common favorites like hydrangea, sunflowers, and echinacea, or unique choices like lisianthus and balloon flowers.

The Guardian

Bernband’s Alien Landscape Is the Perfect Place for Digital Wandering – Just Don’t Expect a Map

With distinct, discrete areas that you can visit at any time, this is not a traditional open world game, and resists gamification with the mantra ‘there’s no goal but to stroll.’

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNBC

What Private Assets in 401(K) Plans Mean for Investors: ‘You’re Only Asking for Trouble,’ One Advisor Says

Millions of investors may soon have access to private assets in their 401(k) or other workplace retirement plans. What to know about the risks and rewards.

SELF

5 Injuries ER Doctors See All the Time—and How to Avoid Them

You might be surprised by the seemingly innocuous behaviors that cause them.

NPR

Why Short Breaks to Move Around Are Crucial for Your Creative Process

When bestselling author Kelly Corrigan’s creativity runs low or her mood turns, she doesn’t power through. Here are her tips for connecting your body to your creative process and getting unstuck.

SELF

5 Things Every ‘Conflict Avoidant’ Person Should Do Before Any Difficult Conversation

The word “conflict” usually brings to mind raised voices or awkward tension—outcomes most people would rather avoid.

Psyche

Does Progress Seem Slower When You Constantly Check on It?

Research on how we perceive the rate of change shows how you can be strategic about goal tracking and boost your motivation.

Kiplinger

Are You Leaving Money on the Table? Four Strategies to Free up Stuck Investments

From forgotten 401(k)s to outdated asset allocations, stuck money can hurt your retirement. Here’s what to do about it.

Allure

Inside the World of Professional Back-Scratching

“I just want to pay someone to tickle my back.”

The Associated Press

Keeping Work From Spoiling a Vacation Takes Planning and the Right Phone Settings

The summer vacation season is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, but navigating the line between work time and personal time is tricky for a lot of people.

Psyche

How to Alter the Passage of Time to Feel Fast or Slow

Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time.

The Guardian

My Scar Makes Beach Outings an Ordeal. How Can I Care Less About It?

You don’t need to love your scar to feel confident – but you can retrain your brain to care about it less.

Harvard Business Review

Research: When It’s Time to Leave a Career You’re Passionate About

From commencement speeches to career advice columns, the call to “follow your passion” is all around us.

Cup of Jo

What’s It Like to Date While Disabled?

I always call my childhood best friend after a date. Here’s why.