Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Scientific American

The Scientific Underpinnings and Impacts of Shame

People who feel shame readily are at risk for depression and anxiety disorders.

Outside

How to Eat Like a Nutritionist (And Never Feel Like You’re On a Diet)

It doesn’t have to be all kale salads and quinoa.

Slate

Dismantling My Dreams, One Brick at a Time

We lived out our fantasy to flip a house. We will never do it again.

Bon Appétit

How to Make Boxed Cake Taste Homemade

However you look at boxed cake mix—a desperate measure or a jumping-off point for delicious desserts—here are my best strategies to make it taste better than you ever imagined.

Narratively

The Fearless Mother-Daughter Duo Who Tamed Lions to Save the Circus

When the Great War sent the men of Europe to the front lines and left a legendary family business on the brink of bankruptcy, two brave women stepped into the ring.

The Hustle

The Economics of Cruise Ships

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

The Conversation

This Salt Alternative Could Help Reduce Blood Pressure. So Why Are So Few People Using It?

Potassium-enriched salt tastes like regular salt and you don’t need to change how you cook or season your food. You just need to switch the type of salt you buy.

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.

Prevention

How to Be a Better Person: 16 Expert-Backed Methods for Self-Improvement

Try these simple life changes to become a more kind and thoughtful version of yourself.

The Atlantic

You’re Not Allowed to Have the Best Sunscreens in the World

Newer, better UV-blocking agents have been in use in other countries for years. Why can’t we have them here?

Quanta Magazine

How Space and Time Could Be a Quantum Error-Correcting Code

The same codes needed to thwart errors in quantum computers may also give the fabric of space-time its intrinsic robustness.

Apartment Therapy

Decluttering Advice—Things to Get Rid Of

This “thrift store” tip will forever change how you declutter.

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, July 26

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?

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.

Esquire

What I Didn’t Understand About My Autistic Son, and What I’m Learning Now That He’s an Adult

I have opened my heart and my mind to Sam, and he’s brought both of us to the place we so desperately need to be.

NPR

The Best Games of 2025 So Far, Picked by NPR’s Staff

From indies like ’Blue Prince’ to big console exclusives like ’Donkey Kong Bananza’, NPR staff and contributors round up their favorite games of the year so far.

NPR

Are High-Protein Snacks Worth the Hype? Here’s How to Assess

Protein has taken over the packaged-snack aisles at the grocery store. But do you need extra protein in your chips and muffins?

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.

Vox

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

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

SELF

3 Simple Steps to Keep Your Bananas From Rotting Way Too Soon

Expert-approved strategies for extending the life of this potassium-packed—but short-lived—fruit.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Inverse

22 Years Later, Star Trek Just Rebooted a Wild Genre Mash-Up

The newest ‘Strange New Worlds’ episode, “Shuttle to Kenfori,” has a bunch of space zombies. But they’re not actually the first in Trek history.

NPR

Doctors Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Hormone Therapy for Menopause

The FDA may remove the warning labels on hormone replacement therapies used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Doctors say the warning is scaring people who could benefit from these treatments.

Nautilus

The Dawn of Bathtub Cosmology

A phenomenon that captured the imaginations of generations of bathers may be key to understanding planetary formation

CNET

Hot, Tangy, Smoky and Sweet. We Tested 17 BBQ Sauces and These Are the Best

Summer isn’t complete until you find the perfect sauce to paint on your chicken and ribs.

Time

How the Simpsons Embraced—and Passionately Skewered—Its Fervent Fan Base

The show’s writers have long embraced—and sometimes playfully skewered—the most passionate factions of the show’s fan base.

The Verge

The VTuber World Is in Crisis Over ‘Owed’ Donations

There’s also been a mass exodus of Vshojo talent.

SELF

Good News: You Don’t Need to Walk 10,000 Steps a Day to Be ‘Healthy’

New research finds you can get away with a lot less.

Sportico

Baseball Losing Grasp of Its Own History in Era of New Rules

These changes to baseball—not just the All-Star Game changes, but the adjusted playoff format, eliminating Game 163, —come at a heavy price. 

The Narwhal

‘Only 10% Is Left’: Wildfires Devastate Proposed Indigenous Protected Area

Recent fires consumed all but 10% of Sakitawak IPCA, a planned Indigenous protected and conserved area in northern Saskatchewan

Time

The Fighting Between Thailand and Cambodia Isn’t About Territory. It’s Much More Serious

It’s uncertain what an off-ramp may look like, but the spat will undoubtedly be damaging for both sides.

Outside

As Wildfires Continue to Burn at the Grand Canyon, Here’s What Travelers Need to Know

The Dragon Bravo blaze at the Grand Canyon is one most devastating wildfires in National Park history. What’s open and still safe for travelers?

Martha Stewart

10 Fast-Growing Flowers That Love Full Sun—and Won’t Struggle in a Drought

Discover the fast-growing, sun-loving flowers that thrive in dry conditions. These drought-tolerant blooms add vibrant color to your garden—no constant watering required.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

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.

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.

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.

Allure

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

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

The Atlantic

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

CNBC

The 10 Best U.S. States to Retire—It’s About More Than ‘Just the Number of Sunny Days and Taxes’

If you want affordability, access to health care and neighborhood safety, you may want to look outside historically popular retirement destinations.

HuffPost

This Unfair Job Interview Question Can Instantly Determine If You’re Hired — and It’s Very Common

Experts offer advice on how to answer this tricky question — and still get the job.