Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Smithsonian Magazine

The Texas City Where Mermaids Inspire River Conservation

“Aquamaids” were once the stars at an amusement park in San Marcos. Now, they are making a comeback to help the environment.

The Drive

How to Change Your Own Oil

Basic? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. Instagramable moments? You know it.

The Atlantic

The Struggle and Triumph of America’s First Black Doctors

African American physicians have dealt with distrust and misperceptions for more than a century.

Mental Floss

10 of the Most Unique Playgrounds in the U.S.

From St. Louis’s popular City Museum to the Little Debbie Park in Collegedale, Tennessee, these kid-friendly spaces put a fun twist on what playgrounds can truly be.

Outdoor Life

7 Sneaky Ways Landowners Block Access to Public Lands

And what to do when you run into it.

Outside

How Farming Saved My Body Image

After giving up competitive running, cycling, and triathlon, I bought a farm in Tennessee. I didn’t know at the time how challenging—and life-affirming—growing my own food would be.

Vogue

33 Cookbooks That Everyone Should Own

Calling all gourmands—these are the cookbooks you should have on your shelf.

Prevention

How to Be More Confident in 8 Steps, According to Experts

Sometimes you really do have to fake it ’til you make it.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Three Road Trip Ideas That Will Inspire a Different Kind of Wanderlust

Set out on a noble quest this summer that’s not for love or money—but food.

Harvard Business Review

Stop Doing Low-Value Work

It’s actually a matter of professional life or death to get rid of your low-value work—tasks that mean little or nothing to customers or colleagues.

Greater Good Magazine

How Money Changes the Way You Think and Feel

Research is uncovering how wealth impacts our sense of morality, our relationships with others, and our mental health.

Quanta Magazine

How a Strange Grid Reveals Hidden Connections Between Simple Numbers

A long-standing puzzle seems to constrain how addition and multiplication relate to each other. A graduate student has gone further than anyone else in establishing the connection.

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

Wednesday, August 13

Travis Kelce on His Upcoming Season, Post-NFL Ambitions, and Life With Taylor Swift

After a grueling Super Bowl loss, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end spent his summer vacation focused on coming back stronger than ever.

Knowable Magazine

How the Cavefish Lost Its Eyes — Again and Again

Mexican tetras that got swept into pitch-black caverns had no use for the energetically costly organs. They lost their eyes in multiple ways — and gained some nifty traits too.

Slate

Rise of the “Marinade Truthers”

Put down those Ziploc bags!

BBC

The Lost Art of Hitchhiking: What We Can Still Learn From Travel’s Most Radical Mode?

Long dismissed as dangerous, hitchhiking is being rediscovered by a new generation of travellers seeking connection, adventure and a low-carbon way to see the world.

Zillennials Can’t Afford to Buy Homes. So What?

Millennials and Gen Z have so much debt that home-buying feels like a fantasy. But these experts say renting is the real power move.

Literary Hub

Is It Time to Move On From Dr. Seuss?

Jess deCourcy considers the staying power of Green Eggs and Ham.

Bitter Southerner

Every summer, locals reenact the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, where Prosecutor William Jennings Bryan remains something of a hero. I wanted to see for myself why this story still resonates.

The Washington Post

What 17 Years of Dog Sitting Has Taught Me About Animals — and People

Hundreds of dogs have been in my care, and I’ve realized I like to live at their pace.

8 Bedroom Décor Mistakes That Make It Hard to Relax

Bedrooms are meant to be relaxing—but these décor mistakes will make them feel cluttered and unrefined.

USA TODAY

Alyson Stoner Book Reveals Stalkers, Rehab, Dark Side of Child Fame

Child stars are speaking out about the not-so-glamorous and sometimes abusive conditions they faced under the spotlight, and Disney alum Alyson Stoner is the latest to share their story.

Kiplinger

How to Break Free From the ‘One More Year’ Trap and Actually Retire

Despite having more than enough money to retire, some people simply cannot leave their jobs.

Business Insider

My French-Born Husband Taught Me the Real Way to Experience France — Slow, Immersive, and Away From Big Cities

My visits to France have changed dramatically since marrying into a French family. Now I know how to experience the best the country has to offer.

CBS News

How a Nonprofit Is Helping the Un- and Underemployed Fill Open Manufacturing Jobs

The Ohio-based nonprofit Magnet helped 56-year-old Mary Lamar find work after serving a 3.5-year prison sentence.

Dwell

“Freedom Cities” Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis

And with President Trump’s proposed plan to build 10 brand-new cities on federally-owned land, democracy itself is also at stake.

Quanta Magazine

What Does It Mean to Be Thirsty?

The effects of insufficient water are felt by every cell in the body, but it’s the brain that manifests our experience of thirst.

Slate

It Was the ChatGPT of the 2000s. It Was Hugely Popular. Too Few Remember It Now.

SmarterChild taught a generation how to talk to machines.

ESPN

MLB Rank 2025 Update: What Did We Get Right -- and Very Wrong?

Who is still too low in our update? Who did we miss in our initial list? Our best -- and worst -- rankings revisited.

Real Simple

Hair Minimalism Is Trending—Here Are 7 Hair Care Steps You Can Actually Skip

As hair minimalism takes off, more people are recognizing that not every product or step in your hair care routine is essential. Here’s what you can confidently skip without sacrificing great-looking hair.