Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

NYLON

The TikTokification Of Attachment Theory

What’s getting lost in translation when the 2010 self-help book, Attached, hits the internet?

Atlas Obscura

Exit Interview: I Was a Black, Female Thru-Hiker on the Appalachian Trail

On joining an exclusive group that’s 75 percent male and overwhelmingly white.

Bloomberg

Confused About Airline Points? These Apps Help

Optimizing travel requires assistance these days.

Afar

Leap of Faith: 1 Dad, 2 Teenagers, and a Last-Minute Trip to Oman

A Pulitzer Prize-winning author watches his twin boys jump from cliffs as his preconceptions melt away.

Fast Company

How to Trick Your Brain Into Not Getting Bored

Disengagement isn’t a motivation problem–it’s biological.

The Conversation

Can You Change Your Personality?

Psychology research says yes, by tweaking what you think and do.

Quanta Magazine

A Short Guide to Hard Problems

What’s easy for a computer to do, and what’s almost impossible? Those questions form the core of computational complexity. We present a map of the landscape.

Stylist

“I Tried This Morning Routine for One Week and It Really Improved My Mood”

After one too many mornings spent doomscrolling in bed, writer Nupur Trivedi decided to reclaim her day. Here’s how she learned to start the morning on a positive note.

Glamour

What to Eat for Breakfast, According to a Nutritionist

Is it really the most important meal of the day?

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Epictetus on Love and Loss: The Stoic Strategy for Surviving Heartbreak

“Who is good if he knows not who he is? and who knows what he is, if he forgets that things which have been made are perishable, and that it is not possible for one human being to be with another always?”

Good Housekeeping

This Key Lime Pound Cake Is Better Than Pie

Sweet and tart in the best of ways.

Men’s Health

A Physical Therapist Shares the 4 Best Stretches for Plantar Fasciitis

It’s time to get back on your feet. Here’s how.

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, July 19

New York Magazine

Inside the Media’s Traffic Apocalypse

The whole premise of internet publishing is starting to crumble.

Los Angeles Times

AI Can Write a Scene. It Can Pitch a Movie. So What Happens to the Screenwriters?

As generative AI reshapes Hollywood, screenwriters like Billy Ray, Paul Schrader, Bong Joon Ho and Todd Haynes, along with a new class of tech disruptors, are navigating the uncertain future of storytelling.

The New Atlantis

Does Marriage Have a Future?

From the Industrial Revolution to the pill to AI girlfriends, technology is unbundling what used to be marriage’s package deal.

The 19th

She Helped Get Rid of Measles in Her County. This Is Her Advice on Stopping Its Spread.

Lubbock County in Texas has been free of measles cases for more than 50 days. But Katherine Wells, director of the Lubbock Health Department, is staying vigilant.

NPR

4 Confidence-Boosting Ways to Overcome the Fear of Flirting in Real Life

Does talking to a cute stranger make your palms sweat? Confidence coach Regina Bonds offers advice on to how to put yourself out there, including how to show interest without coming off as creepy.

BBC

‘It’s Just a Weird, Weird Bird’: Why We Got the Dodo So Absurdly Wrong

The extinct flightless pigeon has captured imaginations for over 400 years. Experts and artists are now revealing how much we have distorted what the dodo was really like.

The Week

Why Your Body Ages Rapidly in Two ‘Bursts’

Scientists have found that ageing increases in our mid-40s and 60s.

Virginia Quarterly Review

Dark Ride to the Source

Holding on to Joy at Disneyland.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

NBC News

The Best Plastic-Free Food Storage Containers for Meal Prep and More

Plastic food containers are susceptible to leaching (leaking plastic into food), so I spoke with experts about what’s best to use instead.

The Associated Press

Searching for Pennies: With the Cut in Federal Funding Public Broadcasters Are Looking to Cope

Trump had called for the cuts, saying public media’s news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans, and threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn’t fall in line.

Real Simple

7 Things You Should Wash Every Week (but Probably Aren’t), According to Laundry Experts

Fabric can retain all kinds of icky things—including body oil, bacteria, mildew, and sweat. Learn which things around your house you’re probably not washing as often as you should, and what belongs on your weekly to-do list.

Den Of Geek

Journalism Is the Real Superpower in Superman

While lighthearted and buoyant, James Gunn’s Superman grounds its entire universe in a dedication to the truth and damn good journalism at the Daily Planet.

Axios

How Musk’s XAI Could Start to Make Sense — and Maybe Money

Grok needs to grow revenue fast. Its right-wing leanings could be the key.

Parents

Why Parents Should Pay Attention to the ‘I Grieve Different’ Trend on TikTok

A recent social media trend that spun out of a 2022 Kendrick Lamar song has taken on a new meaning.

Discover

People in the Middle Ages Spread Wellness Trends Like We Do Today on TikTok

Looking for alternative wellness hacks? Current social media trends strangely resemble medieval cures.

Time

The Trump Era of Flattery Diplomacy Is Here

Trump’s sudden shifts on NATO and Ukraine demonstrate how flattery can drastically alter the course of U.S. policy.

MIT Technology Review

In Defense of Air-Conditioning

Why air-conditioning is the wrong climate villain.

History Today

How Hertha Ayrton Made Waves

Hertha Ayrton’s experiment in a bathtub may have saved lives in the trenches, but it caused ripples among the ranks of the Royal Society.

Los Angeles Times

Walt Disney Is Now an Animatronic. 5 Things to Know About the New Disneyland Attraction

‘Walt Disney — A Magical Life’ debuted as part of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. The show features the first robotic figure of Walt Disney and appeals to the nostalgia of Disney fans.

Architectural Digest

The Best Closet Systems to Prevent Clothes From Piling Up

Sleek, stylish shelving that keeps mess to a minimum

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Yahoo

What Is ‘Revenge Saving,’ and Should You Hop on the Trend?

“Revenge saving” emphasizes making up for poor financial habits by being aggressively frugal or restrictive with your current spending.

Money.com

Why You Probably Need Flood Insurance — Even if You Don't Live Near Water

Over the Fourth of July weekend, parts of central Texas were devastated by flash floods after the region was hit with the equivalent of four months' worth of rain in just a few hours. At least 134 people were killed, and more than 100 are still missing as of press time.

GQ

What to Wear to a Job Interview, According to Hiring Experts

Make sure your suit fits, don’t dress too sexy, and other essential advice from professionals in law, tech, finance, and marketing.

Kiplinger

I Want to Buy an Annuity, but I’m Scared I’ll Get Ripped Off. Should I Get One Anyway?

An annuity is a way to achieve lifetime income in retirement, but you need to understand how this product works before making a purchase.

NPR

‘Panicking’: Why Recent College Grads Are Struggling to Find Jobs

Recent college graduates are facing one of the most challenging job markets in years — with the exception of the pandemic period — even as the overall unemployment rate remains low.

Business Insider

The Hot New MBA Hustle

Millennials’ hottest new career pivot: ditching the corporate grind to run unsexy small businesses.

CNBC

These College Majors Have the Best Job Prospects — and They Aren’t What Students Expect

Which college major students choose often has significant implications for job prospects and future career potential.

The Walrus

Why Everyone You Know Is Suddenly a Birder

A pandemic pastime has grown into something deeper.

The New York Times

You Saved and Saved for Retirement. Now You Need a Plan to Cash Out.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are more worried about running out of money in retirement than dying, and many retirees could be on track to turn that fear into a stark reality.

Fast Company

Why Do We Trust Certain People (Even When We Shouldn’t)?

The science of who is (and isn’t) trustworthy. Why are some people perceived as more trustworthy than others?

Harvard Business Review

Leading Is Emotionally Draining. Here’s How to Recover.

Emotional depletion is a real and significant tax of modern leadership. Recovery is no longer a luxury.

Psyche

What to Do When Someone Goes on the Defensive

Our natural impulses often make matters worse. Here’s an approach that works, grounded in conflict resolution and psychology.