Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Washington Post

These Are the Most Fulfilling Jobs in America

When we looked at new data on which jobs give you the most pride or satisfaction, or serve the community best, one job took the top spot in every category.

The Conversation

To Have Better Disagreements, Change Your Words

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

The Guardian

Ghost Hunting and Interactive Art: The Weird Afterlife of Xbox Kinect

Microsoft’s motion-sensing gaming camera was released for the Xbox 360 in 2010. Artists, roboticists and more are still finding new ways to use it.

The Kitchn

How To Make Panna Cotta

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

Literary Hub

The 45 Best Prison Escape Movies, Ranked

We’ve got chases and escapes, from POW camps, maximum security prisons, and chain gangs.

Inc.

Science Says the Most Successful Kids Have Parents Who Do These 9 Things

Chances are, there’s something on this list you're missing.

Nautilus

Human Emotions Are Personal Narratives

Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux on what makes our brains unique.

Bloomberg

Nine Bosses on What They Do on the Weekends to Unwind

From pickleball to kitesurfing to hikes with the kids, these C-suiters stay active.

The Guardian

Typing Loudly, Wearing AirPods: ‘Taskmasking’ Is How Gen Z Pretends to Work at the Office

As more companies mandate a return to the office, young workers learn to game the system to take back control.

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.

Scott Young

Two Types of Growth

It’s a mistake to assume you’ll grow and improve at a steady rate.

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.

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

The Hollywood Reporter

Last Call for Late Night

After 70 years of tucking America into bed, it looks like the curtain is about to come down on the late night genre. What’s being lost is more than a TV tradition but a backdrop for some of America’s most memorable moments.

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.

Atavist

The Talented Mr. Bruseaux

He made his name in Chicago investigating race riots, solving crimes, and exposing corruption. But America’s first Black private detective was hiding secrets of his own.

Food52

Our 10 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes of All Time

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

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.

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 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.

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.

Lifehacker

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Allure

Inside the World of Professional Back-Scratching

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

NBC News

The Giving Pledge Was Meant to Turbocharge Philanthropy. Few Billionaires Got on Board.

Meanwhile, over the past 10 years, the number of billionaires worldwide has increased by more than half, to 2,891, according to UBS.

The Conversation

Are You in a Mid-Career to Senior Job? Don’t Fear AI – You Could Have This Important Advantage

If you have decades of work experience, your skills may be exactly what’s needed to harness AI’s power, without falling into its traps.

Slate

I Responded to One of the Spam Texts From a “Recruiter”—Then Took the Job. It Got Weirder Than I Could Have Imagined.

I responded to one of those spam texts from a “recruiter”—then took the job. It got weirder than I could have imagined.

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.

Psyche

What a Disastrous Investment Showed Me About Optimism

When an investment tanked and buried us in debt, we had to face the truth of how we’d gotten there.