Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Smithsonian Magazine

The Enduring Myths of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’

Archaeologists look back at what the first Indiana Jones movie got wrong about their profession.

Outside

How to Keep Your Cool, No Matter What

There’s not much that will make you panic after ten years of dogsledding in the wilderness. And there are lots of ways to feel equally calm in all kinds of outdoor emergencies.

Nautilus

Who Really Found the Higgs Boson?

The real genius in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery is not who you think it is.

Bloomberg Businessweek

The Startup That Stepped In When the Baby Formula Supply Chain Broke

Bobbie has built a cultlike following among online parents—one TikTok post and can of organic formula at a time.

The Washington Post

‘Seconds Cost Lives’: Don’t Tune Out Flight Attendants on Your Next Trip

Travelers may want to ignore them, but flight attendants play the most critical role in an emergency.

Greater Good Magazine

How Much of Your Happiness Is Under Your Control?

The researchers behind the original “happiness pie chart” share what they’ve learned in the past 15 years.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

A Brave and Startling Truth: Maya Angelou’s Stunning Humanist Poem That Flew to Space

“Out of such chaos, of such contradiction / We learn that we are neither devils nor divines…”

The Atlantic

How a Stroke Turned a 63-Year-Old Into a Rap Legend

The story of Dr. Rapp.

Narratively

The Warriors of a Failed Revolution

Over fifty years ago, young idealists swore to end American injustice. When their movement splintered, their lives diverged—from quiet college prof to infamous kidnappers to filthy-rich hotelier.

Fast Company

How Writing To-Do Lists Helps Your Brain (Whether Or Not You Finish Them)

To-do lists get a lot of flack, but the simple act of planning has some psychological and productivity benefits all by itself.

Inc.

How to Become the Best in the World at What You Do

With the right approach, and a little hard work, you can do what you love and earn a living at the same time.

Literary Hub

Ian Fleming Explains How to Write a Thriller

“You have to get the reader to turn over the page.”

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

The Hustle

The Only State Without a Walgreens Pharmacy

Many independent pharmacies are in turmoil throughout the US. But a unique law has made North Dakota a haven for mom-and-pop operators.

The San Francisco Standard

‘Jerry Is Rolling in His Grave’: The Deadheads Boycotting Anniversary Shows 

Some Deadheads are sidestepping San Francisco entirely ahead of the anniversary shows. “There’s no more Grateful Dead family — this is a business, through and through,” one said.

Punch

Are Kava and Kratom Drinks Addictive?

In detox centers and online support communities, it’s called “the little blue devil.” But its real name is less insidious: “Feel Free” is a drink sold in tiny blue bottles in gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops to people 21 years or older.

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.

Rolling Stone

How a ‘King of the Hill’ Revival Brings Hank, Bobby, and Dale Into an America Gone Mad

‘King of the Hill’ showrunner talks about the Hulu revival and updating the characters and stories for today’s culture of political extremes.

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.

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

CNET

Whole Milk Is Popular Again, but Is It Right for You? We Asked Dietitians

Dietitians share why whole milk is making a comeback and if it belongs in your fridge.

Gizmodo

Scientists Unveil the Shocking Truth Behind Lightning’s Mysterious Birth

A full understanding of how lightning forms in the clouds has eluded scientists, but new research promises to solve this enduring mystery.

Big Think

John Amaechi Shares the 6 Books That Changed His Thinking

The psychologist and former NBA player discusses the professional volumes and childhood stories that shaped his life and his approach to it.

Homes & Gardens

These Will ‘Create an Immediate Sense of Calm’ – 5 Low-Lift Tasks to Help You Relax When Your House Is a Mess

We have all been there – we sink into the sofa at the end of a long day, desperate to turn off, only for piles of clutter and dusty surfaces to pull at the edges of our mind. So, how do you relax when your house is a mess?

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.

The Marginalian

The Paradox of Knowing Who You Are and What You Want: Cristina Campo on Fairy Tales, Time, and the Meaning of Maturity

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales,” Einstein reportedly told one mother who wished for her son to become a scientist. “If you want them to be ver…

Smithsonian Magazine

New Zealand’s Massive Green Parrots Have Narrowly Avoided Extinction. But Many of Their Parasites Did Not Survive

A study examining fossilized droppings reveals the kākāpō has faced a decline in the diversity of its parasites—and that might not be a good thing

Vogue

The 24 Best Book Club Books for Your Next Group Read

There is really no singular characteristic shared by the best book-club books—but look to these reaction-provoking books for your next group read.

Esquire

What It Feels Like to Survive Tongue Cancer

My wife and I tried to keep our small business afloat as I endured treatment—and lost my sense of taste.

NBC News

As NBA Teams Chase Youth in the Quest for a Title, This Team Is Trying the Opposite Approach

The Los Angeles Clippers have assembled perhaps the oldest roster in NBA history. Will that experience be a strength or a liability?

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.

Smithsonian Magazine

Seventy Years Ago, Johnny Cash Recorded ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and Became a Folk Hero for the Ignored and Downtrodden

A man of the people, the artist put his money where his mouth was by visiting prisons around the country and performing the song

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

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.

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.

The Guardian

Trust Your Gut and Fail Bravely: Seven Influential Women on the Advice They Would Give Their 30-Year-Old Selves

It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. But, as Diana Nyad says: ‘We earn our wisdom.’

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.

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.

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.

The Cut

What If a Child Was Terrified of Food?

The rise of ARFID, a new eating disorder driven not by body image but by fear.