Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Atlantic

What People Actually Say Before They Die

Insights into the little-studied realm of last words.

Mental Floss

“This Land Is Your Land”: The Story Behind America’s Best-Known Protest Song

It has been a staple of kindergarten classrooms for decades. But Woody Guthrie didn’t intend for the song to be a ringing endorsement of American exceptionalism—he wrote it for those who were getting left behind.

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

Vegetables Are Losing Their Nutrients. Can the Decline Be Reversed?

A process called biofortification puts nutrients directly into seeds and could reduce global hunger, but it’s not a magic bullet.

The Guardian

‘The Dreaded B-Word’: How to Start Budgeting

Money is emotional – but avoiding a budget is often more of a headache than making one.

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.

Popular Science

4 New Myths About Climate Change—and How to Debunk Them

Pushing off climate change policy isn’t that far removed from denying its existence.

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.

Kiplinger

What to Do When Your Rent is Too High

You have some options if your rent is too high, even though it may feel bleak.

The Kitchn

How To Make Panna Cotta

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

MIT Press Reader

The Dark Radiance of Atomic Bomb Literature

The more we expose ourselves to the prose of the victims, the more visibility we give them.

Scott Young

Two Types of Growth

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

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 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.

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.

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.

Lifehacker

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Food52

Our 10 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes of All Time

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

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Vogue

From Cozy Coastal Cities to Countryside Escapes, These Are the Best Places to Travel in the Fall

From an upstate cabin to a French vineyard.

SELF

9 Exercises for Knee Pain to Help You Move (and Feel) Better

Strengthen and stretch your way to happier joints.

Popular Mechanics

A Company Says It Can Predict Your Baby’s IQ Before Birth. But Where’s the Science?

The company released white paper that details how it’ll be able to screen embryos for the likelihood of 17 different diseases. But it only mentioned its IQ predictions on social media.

Inc. Magazine

What Drives Fast Growth Year After Year? New Research Has Some Answers

Here are the bold strategies that keep companies on the Inc. 5000 list.

NBC News

The Hottest Fashion Accessory Right Now Will Make You Super Cool: Mini Portable Fans

Long popular in Asian countries, personal fans are everywhere lately and point to a rise in both temps and fast fashion.

Discover

This Cholera-Related Bacterium Is Melting Sea Stars, Causing a Marine Epidemic

What is the sea star wasting disease? Over a decade, sea stars have been disappearing and researchers finally know why.

Business Insider

Contractors Training Meta’s AI Say They Read Intimate Talks With Its Chatbot — and See Data That Identifies Users

Meta, like many tech companies, uses gig workers to review real user chats with its AI chatbot to improve the system.

Axios

Trump Plans to “Take Over” Gaza Aid Effort, U.S. Officials Say

“The starvation problem in Gaza is getting worse. Donald Trump does not like that. He does not want babies to starve.”

Literary Hub

After the Spike: What Slow and Steady Depopulation Means for the World

In 2012, 146 million children were born. That was more than in any prior year. It was also more than in any year since. Millions fewer will be born this year. The year 2012 may well turn out to be …

Fast Company

Cultured Meat Lost Its Sizzle, but It’s Finally Finding a Place in the Food World

The rapid disruption of agriculture that accompanied the early days of the industry didn’t pan out. Now the post-hype path for cultured meat involves filling gaps in the food world.

The Atlantic

My Father, Guitar Guru to the Rock Gods

When the greatest musicians of the 1970s needed an instrument—or a friend—my dad was there.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Allure

Inside the World of Professional Back-Scratching

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

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.

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.

The Conversation

Vaccines Hold Tantalizing Promise in the Fight Against Dementia

A prominent Nature study and related research raise the possibility that vaccines may have a broader role in experimental therapeutics outside the realm of infectious diseases.

The Guardian

My Scar Makes Beach Outings an Ordeal. How Can I Care Less About It?

You don’t need to love your scar to feel confident – but you can retrain your brain to care about it less.