Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Darius Foroux

How To Create A Career

One of the most important career lessons I’ve learned is to pursue a career and not a job. At first glance, you might think, “What’s the difference?” I also didn’t get it for years.

The Hustle

The Millionaire Who Lost It All and Became a Castaway

When David Glasheen lost his fortune in the 1980s stock crash, he packed a small suitcase and moved to a remote island.

Bon Appétit

Coconut Creamed Greens

A sauce of coconut milk, a hot chile, and spices create a full range of bitter, sweet, and tingling flavors.

MEL Magazine

The Afterlife of the Male Model

What happens to young men when they quit the modeling industry? Some exit the business gracefully, some take a nose dive, some find salvation at the Cheesecake Factory.

Inc.

Why Forgetting Actually Helps You Learn, According to a Cognitive Psychologist

Try teaching others what you’re trying to learn yourself.

Homes & Gardens

I Found Decluttering Exhausting – Then I Tried the ‘One Touch’ Tidying Rule

The ‘one touch’ rule could be the solution if keeping your home tidy feels like a never ending challenge.

CityLab

Burned-Out Parents Need Better Public Spaces

To ease the burden on families, we need places to let the kids roam free.

Knowable Magazine

Mysteries of the Poisonous Amphibians

Many brightly colored frogs and salamanders have enough toxins in their skin to kill multiple people. How do they survive their own noxious weapons?

Fast Company

Six Verbs That Make You Sound Weak (No Matter Your Job Title)

Sometimes it’s the smallest words and phrases that shape how you’re perceived at work. Here are a few to watch out for at every level.

The Conversation

Why Mourning a Pet Can Be Harder Than Grieving for a Person

Disenfranchised grief refers to losses that society doesn’t fully appreciate or ignores. This makes it harder to mourn, at least in public.

Greater Good Magazine

Does Venting Your Feelings Actually Help?

While letting your negative emotions out may feel good in the moment, science suggests it might make matters worse in the long run.

Condé Nast Traveler

There’s a Word for How We’re Feeling as Travelers—And This Is It

How to travel better in a world where we all feel weighed down by solastalgia.

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

Thursday, July 31

Mother Jones

The Surgery That Reveals Everything That’s Wrong With Women’s Health Care

From "wandering wombs" to modern biases, the troubling politics of hysterectomies

The Independent

Meet the Childfree Communities Planning for a Future Without Kids

As increasing numbers of us can’t or won’t have children, Helen Coffey talks to those who are planning their lives without a nuclear family, and investigates why government policy has yet to catch up with this rapidly growing demographic.

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.

ProPublica

Now That They’re Free

Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration say they endured months of physical and mental abuse inside a Salvadoran prison. Though happy to be home, they say the fact that they were released is proof of how senseless their detentions were.

The American Scholar

Hundreds and Thousands

I didn’t know how you could inventory memories. I might search for a particular one, bring it up, dust it off. But how to count five days’ worth?

Huck Magazine

The Tossers: Inside the World of Competitive Egg Throwing

From Russian Egg Roulette to the showpiece Throw and Catch, the World Egg Throwing Championships is a cracking tournament.

Vulture

Let Your Kids Watch TV. It’s Fine.

A no-guilt screen-time guide.

The New Yorker

Notes on Bed Rest

I spent months limiting my movement, to protect a high-risk pregnancy. How did it change me?

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

CBS News

Even Households Earning $150,000 a Year Are Struggling With Credit Card and Car Payments

More high-income Americans are falling behind on their loan payments as the market for white-collar jobs cools.

Axios

Trump’s “Devil in the Details” Trade Deals Sow Confusion

These are not traditional, word-heavy trade deals with text agreed to by all negotiators.

Fast Company

Laid Off? Start Building up Your Personal Brand

When done well, a strong personal brand attracts job offers, and can lead to consulting or speaking opportunities.

Los Angeles Times

NBC’s ‘Dateline’ Hitting the Road for a Live True Crime Show — and Maybe a New Revenue Stream

News shows and networks are looking for ways to engage fans and find new revenue sources.

SFGate

One of California’s Largest Cities Is on the Brink of a Trash Nightmare

Swaths of the major California city could be without trash service.

Lifehacker

I Review Trendy Home Gym Equipment, and Here’s What I’ve Learned About What to Buy

So many trendy fitness items are manufactured quickly and cheaply to capitalize on social media buzz. They’re designed to look good in videos and photos, not to withstand daily use over months and years. Here’s the home gym equipment that’s worth the inve

Big Think

Leadership Philosophy: Why Machiavelli’s “Virtù” Fits Hand-in-Glove With AI

Author and geopolitical strategist Paulo Cardoso do Amaral asks: Will we shape AI with wisdom, or will AI reshape us with strategy?

The Conversation

How the Internet and Its Bots Are Sabotaging Scientific Research

Bots increasingly take part in scientific studies.

Parents

Your Teen Was Unproductive This Summer—What Now?

Gen Z teens experience more pressure than ever to be productive and active during their time off. Here’s what to know if your teen spent most of their time on the couch during the summer.

Parents

New Study Says Kids Under 13 Shouldn’t Have Smartphones—but What If They Already Do?

An extensive study looks at the risks of smartphone use for kids under age 13, and those risks are very real.

Condé Nast Traveler

The Full List of Countries That Have Updated Their US Travel Guidance

From Canada to China, more than a dozen countries are advising their citizens about travel to the US. Here’s why—and how it’s impacting tourism.

The Walrus

Millennials Are Becoming Caregivers Whether They’re Ready or Not

Still under 40, many are responsible for aging parents while raising kids and managing debt.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNN

‘Ozempic Face’ May Be Driving a Cosmetic Surgery Boom

“You can only refill a deflated balloon so much, and often surgical intervention is necessary.”

CNBC

While the Fed Kept Its Benchmark Unchanged, Here’s What Happened to Consumer Borrowing Rates

When it meets this week, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key short-term interest rate at its current target range — where it has stayed for all of 2025.

CNBC

Back-to-School Shopping Is More Expensive This Year — Here’s the Breakdown

This year, parents will pay more for back-to-school essentials such as pens, pencils and backpacks.

Maclean’s

Confessions of the Working Poor

I work hard, buy quality clothes and know how to fake my way through dinner-party conversations. But behind the scenes, I’m part of a fast-growing Canadian underclass.

The New York Times

Study May Undercut Idea That Cash Payments to Poor Families Help Child Development

Rigorous new research appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being, adding a new element to a dispute over expanded government aid.

NPR

In a First, the Senate Confirms a New CDC Director

Susan Monarez is the first director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require Senate confirmation. She’s also the first director without a medical degree in more than 70 years.

Vox

How to Make the Hardest Choices of Your Life

From picking a career to picking a spouse, one radical philosophical idea will guide you.

NPR

The Manhattan Gunman Believed He Had CTE. What Does That Mean?

The gunman accused of killing four people in New York City suspected he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative brain disease often associated with football players.

CNBC

Even Many High-Earning Americans Don’t Feel Wealthy. Here’s Why

Many high earners in the U.S. still feel broke. Between lifestyle creep, debt and social pressure, even $200,000 per year doesn’t always buy peace of mind.

The Associated Press

If You Don’t Have Diabetes, Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.

The Guardian

‘It Would Destroy Me’: Fear of Student Loan Default Haunts US Borrowers

The Trump administration has ended the pandemic-era pause on repayments, leaving many facing colossal debts.

CNBC

Animal Shelters Are Crowded as High Costs Squeeze Pet Owners

Millions of animals are stuck in increasingly cramped shelters because their owners are struggling to pay rising vet bills and other expenses.