Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Kitchn

How To Cook a Whole Chicken in Coconut Milk in the Slow Cooker

A riff on a classic technique.

Greater Good Magazine

Why It Doesn’t Pay to be a People-Pleaser

Christine Carter always tried to meet other people’s expectations—until she realized how out of sync with her own wants and needs she’d become.

Nautilus

How Math’s Most Famous Proof Nearly Broke

Andrew Wiles thought he had a solution to an age-old puzzle. Until it began to unravel.

Fast Company

How to Land a Job You’re Not Qualified For

It doesn’t hurt to apply, even if you feel underqualified. But there is a strategy you should follow.

The Hustle

The Economics of Cruise Ships

For decades, the industry has done everything in its power to avoid paying into the system.

Delish

What Nutritionists Wish You Knew About Popcorn

Think twice before reaching for the movie theater butter.

Literary Hub

50 Great Classic Novels Under 200 Pages

I once wrote about the best contemporary novels under 200 pages. Now I must turn my attention to my favorite short classics.

Popular Science

Probiotics Are More Hype Than Science

Experts say that the marketing for these supplements has outpaced the actual science.

Knowable Magazine

What Would Signal Life on Another Planet?

Astronomers have long debated what kind of chemistry might serve as a bona fide alien biosignature. With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, those ideas may be put to the test.

Architectural Digest

11 Kitchen Storage Ideas to Make Your Small Space Easier to Cook In

Save your precious cabinet space with these brilliant tips.

Stylist

How to Cure Braid Itch, According to the Experts

Box braids and twists can leave your scalp feeling uncomfortable as they’re not the easiest style to wash – especially if they’ve been installed too tightly. Here’s how to avoid and treat braid itch.

Inc.

An Incredibly Clever Hack for People Who Want to Read More Books

This brilliant brain hack hijacks your social media habit to build a new commitment to reading.

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

Friday, July 25

Business Insider

Return Fraud Is Running Rampant

Whether it’s sending back broken items or claiming a package never arrived, Americans are committing return fraud at Amazon and other retailers.

Vox

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

And why it’s not getting cheaper any time soon.

The Guardian

The Rise and Fall of the British Cult That Hid in Plain Sight

Philippa Barnes was a child when her family joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an adult, she helped expose the shocking scale of abuse it had perpetrated.

NBC News

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Event Is Not What You Think It Is

Nationally, extreme heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

The Guardian

Freeze Your Nuts – but Not Your Mushrooms: 28 Thrifty, Fabulous Ways to Use Your Freezer

Bag up your breadcrumbs and gather your gravy. Here’s how to use your kitchen’s most underrated asset to its greatest potential.

Slate

The Rise of the One-Day Overseas Vacation

In the age of remote work, Instagram reels, and shrinking PTO, the one-day international trip is becoming both absurd and strangely relatable.

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

The New Yorker

Mary Had Schizophrenia—Then Suddenly She Didn’t

Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

SELF

The Best Mattress Toppers Are the Subtle Upgrade Your Bed Needs

Roll out of bed feeling rested—not achy.

Time

Why Trump Is Targeting the Fed’s Renovation

Here’s what to know about the Fed’s renovations and why Trump is talking about it so much

Los Angeles Times

Ed Park Drops Clues Like ‘Barbie’ Throughout ‘An Oral History of Atlantis’

Ed Park, a Pultizer Prize finalist for his last sprawling novel, wrote an interlocking series of stories for his follow-up, ‘An Oral History of Atlantis,’ and his joy at working in shorter form is palpable.

Texas Monthly

First Came the Flood. Then Came the Influencers.

In the days after the Guadalupe River tore through Kerr County on the Fourth of July, local authorities closed the road leading to two of the hardest-hit communities, Hunt and Ingram, to nonresidents and nonessential personnel.

The Guardian

Venezuelans Deported by Trump to El Salvador Describe ‘Horror Movie’ Mega-Prison

Venezuelan men who were deported by the US to a notorious prison in El Salvador without due process are speaking out about treatment they described as “hell” and like a “horror movie”, after arriving back home.

Los Angeles Times

All 43 of Billy Joel’s Hot 100 Hits, Ranked From Worst to Best

Ahead of Friday night’s premiere of Part 2 of HBO’s ‘And So It Goes,’ here’s a ranked list of the Piano Man’s biggest hits.

The New Yorker

The Fight for Mexican Los Angeles

The city’s Mexican consul is trying to protect local immigrants, but there are limits to what he can accomplish.

Vanity Fair

Meet the PR King of Canceled Celebs, Mitchell Jackson

The former Vice staffer has built out a boutique business catering to the internet’s most notorious figures. “You’ll never starve in America if you’re shameless,” he tells VF.

PS

PSA: Jessica Biel’s Onscreen Physique Is “Not Maintainable” — Even for Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel says her body in “The Better Sister” is “not maintainable.” Here’s why that transparency matters and why we’re applauding her honesty.

Axios

Social Security Recipients Set to Face an $18,000 Benefit Cut in Just Seven Years

Retirees are facing the prospect of substantial Social Security cuts in just seven years, sooner than projected, due to the “big, beautiful bill,” per an analysis out Thursday from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

The Atlantic

AI Slop Might Finally Cure Our Internet Addiction

Chatbots are making so much of the web unreliable that they could nudge more people offline.

Kiplinger

Overpaying for Financial Advice? A Financial Planner’s Guide to Fees

Take five minutes to review how much you’re paying for financial advice. If you’re overpaying, you could be better off with an adviser who charges a flat fee.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

The Associated Press

For Some Employees, Education Benefits Such As Tuition Assistance Prove Life-Changing

As higher education costs have grown to heights many U.S. residents find unattainable or illogical, some adults are looking to their employers for help.

NPR

What Borrowers Should Know About Student Loan Changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill

If you’re a federal student loan borrower or about to become one, your head may be spinning.

NBC News

Did Your Doctor’s Office Charge You a ‘Facility Fee’? Here’s What to Know.

Facility fees, often associated with inpatient hospital stays, are becoming more common for outpatient doctors’ appointments.

Harvard Business Review

Make the Most of Your Vacation When You Can’t Fully Unplug

While advice abounds on the importance of fully unplugging during your hard-earned time off — and for good reason! — what should you do if you’re in a situation where you can’t be fully offline?

The Cut

‘Are My Student Loans About to Become Unaffordable?’

You could do nothing—or you could sign up for a new repayment plan. Here are your options.

NPR

You Can’t Outrun a Bad Diet. Food Not Lack of Exercise Fuels Obesity, Study Finds

One explanation for the rise in obesity in industrialized countries is that people burn fewer calories than people in countries where obesity is rare. A major study finds that’s not the case.

Axios

Venmo the Treasury to Help Pay Uncle Sam’s Debt? You Can, If You Really Want

Of all the things you might use Venmo for — buying drinks, splitting a check with friends, repaying a loan — there’s a good chance you’ve never had “sending the government a gift to help pay the public debt” on your list.

The Atlantic

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards

Their fees are getting higher—and their benefits are sometimes wildly complicated to redeem.

Allure

Why Are People Fighting About At-Home Gel Nail Kits on TikTok?

A closer look at both sides of the “OPI nail drama.”

Time

The Surprising Reason Your Groceries Are More Expensive

A new study shows how extreme weather events are correlated to specific food price spikes in the immediate aftermath.

The Conversation

Just How Germy Is the Public Pool? An Infectious Disease Expert Weighs In

Most pool-related illnesses won’t kill you, but no one wants to spend their vacation or a week of beautiful summer days in the bathroom.

CNN

Don’t Get Overwhelmed by 10,000 Steps. Here’s How Many You May Really Need

Don’t worry, you can get health benefits just by moving a little more than you already are, new research has found.