Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Epicurious

How to Store Cucumbers So They Stay Extra Crunchy

Tired of finding sad, soggy cucumbers in the fridge? Here’s everything you need to know about keeping those cukes fresh for as long as possible.

Stylist

“Why Is My Hair Changing Texture and When Should I See a Professional?”

A consultant trichologist explains how ageing and genetics, as well as chemical and heat damage, can impact hair.

Good Housekeeping

The Racist and Problematic History of the Body Mass Index

Explaining the racist roots behind BMI — and why it’s not the standard of health it’s been made out to be.

Popular Science

How to Get Muscle Gains: A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming Buff

You don’t have to be a muscle math genius to buff up.

Smithsonian Magazine

Why an Alabama Town Has a Monument Honoring the Destructive Boll Weevil

The pest decimated the South’s cotton industry, but the city of Enterprise found prosperity instead.

BBC Future

The ‘Untranslatable’ Emotions You Never Knew You Had

From gigil to wabi-sabi and tarab, there are many foreign emotion words with no English equivalent. Learning to identify and cultivate these experiences could give you a richer and more successful life.

Inc.

3 Simple Things That Will Make You the Most Interesting Person in Any Conversation

Time to get rid of the small talk.

The Conversation

Why Do Paper Cuts Hurt So Much?

A professor of family medicine explains why.

The Guardian

How To Take the Perfect Breath: Why Learning To Breathe Properly Could Change Your Life

It’s claimed that ‘breathwork’ can improve our sleep, digestion, immune and respiratory functions, while reducing blood pressure and anxiety. That sounds more appealing than ever.

Inverse

Even Just a Little of This One Overlooked Activity Can Dramatically Reduce Depression

Gardening is good for you — but with these additions you can augment the experience.

Scientific American

Susceptibility to Mental Illness May Have Helped Humans Adapt Over the Millennia

Mental illness may have nothing to do with a genetic flaw or a traumatic event.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Rachel Carson’s Bittersweet Farewell to the World

Timeless advice to the next generations from the woman who catalyzed the environmental movement.

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, July 9

Vogue

Why I Finally Fell Out Of Love With Attachment Theory

There was a time, in my mid-twenties, when I became completely obsessed with why I was the way I was. I’d just been through a major break-up, and what followed was a period of intense and intentional soul-searching.

Columbia Journalism Review

Grains of Salt

A memoir of restoration became a bestseller and a movie. Its truth is now in doubt.

Rest of World

Out of Space: Picturing the Big, Crowded Business of Satellite Internet

The idea of a space-based internet is almost as old as the internet itself. In 1993, the Hughes Aircraft Company filed for a license with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to develop Spaceway, a high-speed global satellite internet service — the first of its kind.

Atavist

Conversations with a Hit Man

A former FBI agent traveled to Louisiana to ask a hired killer about a murder that haunted him. Then they started talking about a different case altogether.

The Atlantic

I Fought Plastic. Plastic Won

My futile quest to avoid the material that my entire world is made out of.

Eating Well

9 Best Foods to Help You Stay Hydrated, Recommended by Dietitians

Many fruits and veggies provide fluids and electrolytes to aid in hydration. Dietitians share their recommendations for the best foods for hydration.

The Guardian

You Love the Outdoors. So Why Are You Pooping All Over It?

Millions of Americans a year visit national parks and many leave their business anywhere. Contrary to popular belief, that deluge of poop is not going to decompose.

Scientific American

The Benefits of Raising Conscientious Kids

Being conscientious will serve kids in the long run. Here are some tips to help them learn that trait.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Atlas Obscura

What Makes a Pest a Pest?

Cats and rats both hunt endangered species. So why do we love one and hate the other?

Time

Food Dyes Are Lurking in Surprising Places

Researchers were shocked to find them in bland-looking foods.

Esquire

What It Feels Like to Live Without a Smartphone

Sick of algorithmic rabbit holes and compulsively checking emails, I switched to a flip phone for two months. It wasn’t as easy as I thought.

CBS News

Workplace Mental Health at Risk As Key Federal Agency Faces Cuts

Efforts to decrease alarmingly high rates of suicide among construction workers and prevent burnout in health care workers are in jeopardy.

Harper's Bazaar

The 20th Century Designer Who Put Common Sense Into Women’s Fashion

A new book recognizes Claire McCardell as a pioneer of American womenswear as we know it.

Axios

U.S. Dietary Guidelines on a Collision Course With MAHA

It’s an opportunity for Kennedy to exert more leverage over food and beverage companies and what they make.

Popular Mechanics

Archaeologists Discovered an Unprecedented Ancient Monument That Could Rewrite History

It’s practically impossible.

The Atlantic

Trump’s Only-Okay Economy

He hasn’t crashed it, but he hasn’t made it great either. That’s a problem.

Business Insider

I Work in AI, and Now I Use It for Parenting My 5 Kids. Shielding Them From It Would Be a Mistake.

Adam Lyons works in AI and feels like shielding kids from it would be a disadvantage. He uses AI to homeschool his five kids and help them problem solve.

ESPN

Chelsea’s Transfer Strategy Still a Mystery Under Todd Boehly

Chelsea’s transfer window strategy has shifted throughout Todd Boehly’s ownership -- but it still isn’t any closer to making sense.

Nautilus

What Deep Time Can Tell Us About Coral Reefs

Lisa Gardiner on the 3 greatest revelations she had while writing Reefs of Time.

Time

The Founders Knew Great Wealth Inequality Could Destroy Us

At the founding of America, leaders predicted that a concentration of wealth would weaken the republic.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNBC

‘Revenge Savings’ Can Boost Your Bottom Line, Experts Say — Here’s How to Get Started

Saving more money is a perennial resolution, but emotions shouldn't drive that habit, financial experts say. Instead, be intentional. Here's how to get started.

Gizmodo

This Cough Syrup Ingredient Might Actually Slow Dementia

Several larger trials of ambroxol for Parkinson's are already underway.

Harvard Business Review

When It’s Time to Leave a Career You’re Passionate About

People worry that others will see them as immoral and incompetent for quitting their passion. These fears are often misplaced.

The Washington Post

I’m a Gastroenterologist. Here’s Why I Tell My Patients to Eat This One Fruit.

Kiwis can boost your gut health. They may also lower triglycerides and cancer risk.

CNBC

Recruiter: I’ve Placed Over 1,000 People Into Jobs–Here’s the No. 1 ‘Closing Technique’ to Nail Your Interview

In this environment where it’s difficult to get your foot in the door, one mistake that some recent graduates make is assuming that their degree will automatically get them a job.

NPR

4 Things to Know About the Vaccine Ingredient Thimerosal

The federal government could soon recommend that people only receive flu shots made without an ingredient called thimerosal.

The New York Times

How Many Dates Should You Go on Before You Start Talking About Money?

Couples tend to dance around discussing how much they earn or owe early in a relationship. But experts agree that talking about money sooner is better than later.

HuffPost

I Paid Off a School’s Lunch Debt. Then Strangers on the Internet Did Something Truly Stunning.

This is proof that strangers can decide, together, to make things better.

Fast Company

How to Trick Your Nervous System Into Calming Down When You’re Stressed at Work

Understanding how your body works can be the key to reducing stress. For example, you’re probably aware of your fight-or-flight response—the body’s way of preparing itself when it believes it’s being threatened.

NPR

‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Purchases Can Now Affect Your Credit Score. Here’s What That Means

Services that split up payments into installments are increasingly popular, especially among young and low-to-middle income shoppers. But now the FICO credit scoring company will be tracking that debt.

The Guardian

Natural Fibers and No Heathered Grey: What to Wear When It’s Really, Really Hot Out

The biggest concerns are a) maximizing comfort and b) masking sweat so one doesn’t look like a sentient pile of wet laundry.

Inc. Magazine

Half of Remote Employees Nap During the Workday, a Survey Says 

Employers might want to keep an eye open for any visible facial creases, suspiciously mussed hairdos, or groggy comments during video meetings with remote staff. It turns out nearly half of people working from home admit to taking naps on company time.