Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Bon Appétit

Pretzel Focaccia

One of the easiest breads to make at home gets pretzel-ified with a highly burnished, salt-coated crust and a delightfully bitter twang.

MIT Press Reader

10 Tips for Cultivating Creativity, From the Director of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT

The challenge is not how to “teach creativity” to children, but rather how to create a fertile environment in which their creativity will take root, grow, and flourish.

Fast Company

Every Interview Question is Really This Question

Behind every interview question, there are three things that the interviewer is trying to figure out.

Greater Good Magazine

How to Stay Open and Curious in Hard Conversations

Here are eight tips for having better conversations across our differences.

Literary Hub

Classic Reviews of Beloved Children's Books

Eudora Welty on ‘Charlotte's Web’, Dorothy Parker on ‘Winnie the Pooh’, and more.

Aeon

The Play Deficit

Children today are cossetted and pressured in equal measure. Without the freedom to play, they will never grow up.

The Hustle

The Secretary Who Helped Uncover One of America’s Strangest Ponzi Schemes

The whole thing started because Robin H. Swanson wanted to send flowers.

Narratively

A Super Strange True Love Story: My Disappearing Fiancé

After years of avoiding love, I found a match that seemed almost too perfect. We were practically walking down the aisle before I realized it really was too good to be true.

The Marginalian

Physicist Alan Lightman on Beginnings, Endings, and What Makes Life Worth Living

How our cosmic improbability confers dignity and meaning upon our shared existence.

Knowable Magazine

Spots, Stripes and More: Working Out the Logic of Animal Patterns

More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity.

The Atlantic

How Friends Become Closer

It’s hard to organize a busy life so that it has enough room for deep friendships, but there are a few strategies that may help.

Scientific American

Dazzled by Creativity: Why We Excuse Dishonest Acts

Con artists rarely inspire admiration. Frank Abagnale Jr., however, was hardly a typical con artist.

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

Monday, August 4

PBS

In the Gray World of GLP-1 Supplements Online, Health Experts Urge Caution

TikTok beauty influencer Kaycee Ogle is regularly contacted by brands who want her to promote their products. But one email she received in June was different, and made her curious.

Rolling Stone

Inside the Battle Over ‘Napalm Girl’

A new documentary, ‘The Stringer,’ investigates the story of the famous Vietnam War photo “Napalm Girl,” raising questions about who actually took it.

Glamour

Would You Let Your Friend Pitch You to a Room Full of Single Strangers?

In 2025 we’re turning back to one of the oldest forms of dating: meeting a romantic partner through friends.

The Conversation

Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? A Pharmacist Explains Why You Might Not Be

As many as 1 in 5 Americans believe they have a penicillin allergy, but just a tiny fraction actually do. In recent years, it’s gotten a lot easier to find out.

Scientific American

The Hidden Way Allergens Attack Nose, Throat and Lung Cells

The immune system senses damage to cell membranes caused by pore-forming proteins and mounts a response.

POLITICO Magazine

Meet the Fraudster Who Wants to Make California Its Own Country

The man behind the Calexit movement claims to be a baller. But he’s broke.

AFAR

Where to Go Every Month of the Year for Better Weather, Fewer Crowds, and the Most Value

Hurricane-free Caribbean beaches, empty canals in Venice, and lush safaris—all can be yours in off season.

Tampa Bay Times

She Left Her Abusive Ex. Could She Stay Away?

Money, housing, kids and heartache keep victims with abusers. For a Florida woman, breaking free meant risking it all.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Popular Mechanics

Your Heart Could Be 10 Years Older Than You Are, Scientists Say—That’s Bad News

Most adults have a heart that’s actually biologically older than our actual age due to a number of factors, including stress, activity, smoking habits and plenty more.

The Guardian

The 10 Best Classic Seaside Arcade Machines

A trip to the seaside isn’t complete without a jangling cup of coins or an overconfident uncle nursing a sore hand. Here’s a rundown of the top nostalgia-inducing games.

Smithsonian Magazine

24 Billion Gallons of Water Burst Through Greenland’s Ice Sheet From a Hidden Lake in 2014. Scientists Just Pieced Together What Happened

A new study suggests ice sheet meltwater doesn’t always move downward—sometimes, it can erupt.

NPR

If Compliments Make You Feel Super Awkward, This Comic Is for You

When someone says something nice about us, it can make us feel awkward and uncomfortable. Researchers explain the science behind those emotions — and make the case for accepting genuine praise.

Domino

9 Chic Finds Hiding in All the New Dorm Decor Drops

This paper towel holder and bean bag are technically part of dorm decor collections, but we want them for ourselves.

NBC News

‘A Black Hole’: New Graduates Discover a Dismal Job Market

Recent college graduates searching for jobs are finding that practical degrees, work experience and even connections are no match for sluggish hiring.

The Atlantic

The Secret of George Washington’s Revolutionary Success

The American Revolution was won by dramatic deeds, but also by decidedly undramatic efforts.

ESPN

Fantasy Football Do Not Draft List: Christian McCaffrey, Mark Andrews Among Players Being Overvalued

The annual hit is back, with players Eric Karabell feels are going earlier than they should in drafts this summer.

Essence

Rides N’ School Supplies: A Movement at the Intersection of Car Culture and Community Impact in St. Louis

How a family-driven passion for cars became a catalyst for mentorship, scholarships, and real-world opportunities for St. Louis youth.

USA TODAY

No More GI Joe Trucks: Army Swaps Iconic Humvee for a Faster, Cheaper Vehicle

The Army is swapping an icon – the 40-year-old Humvee – for a lighter, faster, cheaper truck designed for future battlefields.

Inside Climate News

Hundreds of Old EV Batteries Have New Jobs in Texas: Stabilizing the Grid

After reaching the end of their automotive lives, the batteries are being reused to provide lower-cost grid energy storage.

Canary Media

New York Becomes First State to Commit to All-Electric New Buildings

The state finalized rules ensuring most new edifices will install electric heat pumps and stoves instead of gas appliances, lowering costs and improving air quality.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

The Associated Press

What to Know If You’re at Risk of Having Your Wages Garnished Over Student Loan Debt

Millions of student borrowers could begin having their wages garnished as soon as this summer. That’s according to estimates from credit bureau TransUnion.

Teen Vogue

Supplement History: The Truth About Supplements and Vitamins That Teens Should Know

If you take a supplement, you should read this.

CNBC

Senate Bill Aims to Increase Affordable Housing Supply. Here’s What Renters, Home Buyers Need to Know

A Senate committee advanced a bipartisan bill that would spur the construction of affordable housing. Here’s what to know about it.

HuffPost

This Mosquito-Borne Illness Is Being Reported in Multiple States — Here’s What to Know

Now’s the time to replenish your bug spray supply.

CNBC

Federal Student Loans Will Still Be a ‘Better Bet’ Than Private—Even With Coming Changes, Experts Say

Some of the most generous benefits of federal student loans are going away in the coming years. Here's why experts still recommend them over private loans.

Lifehacker

Six Common Tactics Contractors Use to Upsell You

Contractors know you’ve got money to spend on your home project. Here are the tricks they use to upsell you and get you to spend more than you intended.

Lifehacker

These Six ‘Misunderstandings’ Can Seriously Impact Your Hospital Bill

When we’re in the hospital, our lives are literally in the hands of the doctors, nurses, and other staff. But hospitals can be sketchy about what they tell you—with expensive consequences.

Money

How to Prioritize Your Bills in a Financial Crunch

Which obligations need your immediate attention and which can wait.

CBS News

What Will Happen to Gold Prices This August?

Gold prices have largely risen over the past 18 months, approximately, but will they continue to do so this August?

The Atlantic

Three Ways to Stop Feeling Like an Impostor

This common syndrome can certainly harm your happiness. Here are three ways to get over it.

The Guardian

Sweat, Stingers and Scratching: 14 Expert, Easy Ways to Treat and Prevent Insect Bites

Some of us seem to be bitten much more than others – and in unlucky cases this can lead to an allergic reaction or chronic illness. Pharmacists explain how to avoid the worst insects have to offer.

SFGate

7 Dogs Suddenly Die in Southern California, 11 More Fall Ill

All were said to have been in good health before a sudden onset of lethargy, nausea, seizures and other symptoms.