Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Prevention

How to Be More Confident in 8 Steps, According to Experts

Sometimes you really do have to fake it ’til you make it.

Mental Floss

When ‘Woody Wagons’ Ruled the Road

Cars with wood panels used to be a luxury ride, with only the wealthy opting in.

Literary Hub

14 Classic Works of Literature Hated By Famous Authors

“I got a little bored after a time. I mean, the road seemed to be awfully long.”

Greater Good Magazine

How to Stop the Pain of Wishing People Were Different

Sometimes it’s hard to just accept people for who they are. Here’s how to be at peace with someone, faults and all.

Narratively

Love, Death and Volleyball: The Four-Decade Run of a Trailblazing Gay Sports League

How a dirt-court meetup in Central Park grew to become a vital lifeline during the AIDS crisis and a surrogate family for LGBTQ people to this day.

BBC Worklife

The Conversational Habits That Build Better Connections

Can you chat your way to greater social connection? Five useful steps can help us strengthen ties and avoid mistakes.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Three Road Trip Ideas That Will Inspire a Different Kind of Wanderlust

Set out on a noble quest this summer that’s not for love or money—but food.

Bustle

How To Do A Reverse Plank For Better Back Strength

You’ll feel the burn in your entire backside.

Bon Appétit

I’ll Never Make Tater Tots the Same Way Again

This salty-spicy-sweet seasoning sends them over the top.

BBC Travel

How a Portuguese Fishing Village Tamed a 100ft Wave

Nazaré used to be a beach resort that emptied in winter. Now it's the epicentre of big wave surfing due to the skyscraper-sized waves generated by Europe’s largest underwater canyon.

The Drive

How to Change Your Own Oil

Basic? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. Instagramable moments? You know it.

BBC Future

How Your Family Shapes Your Body Image

Comments about our looks from our loved ones and friends can cause lifelong insecurities. How can we teach kids to feel confident about their bodies instead?

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, August 13

Bitter Southerner

For the Living of These Days

Every summer, locals reenact the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, where Prosecutor William Jennings Bryan remains something of a hero. I wanted to see for myself why this story still resonates.

GQ

Travis Kelce on His Upcoming Season, Post-NFL Ambitions, and Life With Taylor Swift

After a grueling Super Bowl loss, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end spent his summer vacation focused on coming back stronger than ever.

Slate

Rise of the “Marinade Truthers”

Put down those Ziploc bags!

BBC

The Lost Art of Hitchhiking: What We Can Still Learn From Travel’s Most Radical Mode?

Long dismissed as dangerous, hitchhiking is being rediscovered by a new generation of travellers seeking connection, adventure and a low-carbon way to see the world.

The Washington Post

What 17 Years of Dog Sitting Has Taught Me About Animals — and People

Hundreds of dogs have been in my care, and I’ve realized I like to live at their pace.

Literary Hub

Is It Time to Move On From Dr. Seuss?

Jess deCourcy considers the staying power of Green Eggs and Ham.

PS

Zillennials Can’t Afford to Buy Homes. So What?

Millennials and Gen Z have so much debt that home-buying feels like a fantasy. But these experts say renting is the real power move.

Knowable Magazine

How the Cavefish Lost Its Eyes — Again and Again

Mexican tetras that got swept into pitch-black caverns had no use for the energetically costly organs. They lost their eyes in multiple ways — and gained some nifty traits too.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Time

The Historic Danger of Trump Undercutting the BLS

President Donald Trump’s firing of the BLS commissioner is a major blow to the U.S. economy—and to America’s reputation.

Big Think

How “6 Points of Connection” Can Repair Our Shared Trust

Social entrepreneur Aaron Hurst explains why the decline of social connection is the greatest challenge of our time.

Martha Stewart

8 Bedroom Décor Mistakes That Make It Hard to Relax

Bedrooms are meant to be relaxing—but these décor mistakes will make them feel cluttered and unrefined.

Popular Mechanics

A Man Was Perfectly Frozen in Ice for 28 Years. the Glacier Just Spit Him Back Out.

A painful three-decades-long search can finally come to a close.

Real Simple

We Asked 4 Registered Dietitians to Name the Healthiest Cooking Oil, and They All Said the Same Thing

See the cooking oil registered dietitians say is the healthiest one to use. In addition to its nutritional benefits, this oil is versatile and tastes great.

Vox

Stop Romanticizing the 1990s. the Data Shows Today Is Better.

Nostalgia is lying to you about how good things were.

Slate

It Was the ChatGPT of the 2000s. It Was Hugely Popular. Too Few Remember It Now.

SmarterChild taught a generation how to talk to machines.

Kiplinger

Don’t Be a ‘98 Pound Weakling’ Just Because You’re Aging

Charles Atlas’s tips to the ‘98-pound weakling’ might be the only comic book ads that actually paid off. Swap the X-ray glasses for this healthy habit.

USA TODAY

Alyson Stoner Book Reveals Stalkers, Rehab, Dark Side of Child Fame

Child stars are speaking out about the not-so-glamorous and sometimes abusive conditions they faced under the spotlight, and Disney alum Alyson Stoner is the latest to share their story.

Undark

With Trump Upheaval, Experts See Concerning Trend at NIH Hospital

The research hospital cares for people with rare or life-threatening diseases. This year, patient numbers plummeted.

Business Insider

Patriot Missile Production Is Surging, but the Demand Is Insatiable

Companies are surging Patriot missile production, but the demand from operators, and the West as it watches Russia and China, is tough to meet.

The Associated Press

Tennis Star Monica Seles Reveals Her Diagnosis With Myasthenia Gravis

Tennis Hall of Famer Monica Seles is discussing for the first time her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis — a neurological autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with in 2022.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Axios

Companies Embrace in-Person Interviews to Dodge the Chatbots

If you’re a knowledge worker on the job hunt, you might want to upgrade your interview wardrobe to include pants.

BBC

Should We All Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?

Vitamin supplements can be an efficient way to add vitamins lacking in our diet. But they're not a silver bullet.

Culture Study

The Unexpected Benefits of Starting a Small-Scale Dahlia Operation

No, it’s not infinite bouquets.

USA TODAY

Gas Prices Are Down From Last Year. Here’s Where They Could Head Next.

July gas prices were down 2.2% from June and 9.5% from the year prior, according to the latest CPI report from the Labor Department. Why prices at the pump could continue to slip in the months ahead.

The Guardian

Why Do I Feel So Much Worse After a Nap – and How Can I Avoid It?

Waking up from a nap feeling groggy, tired or ill? Experts say it’s common. Here’s what could be going wrong.

The Washington Post

These Workers Don’t Fear Artificial Intelligence. They’re Getting Degrees in It.

Students young and old are flocking to AI majors, as colleges expand courses on the topic.

PBS News

Why New College Graduates Are Facing One of the Toughest Job Markets in a Decade

PBS News asked recent grads about their job searches, and John Yang speaks with Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, for more on the current state of the job market and advice for first-time job seekers.

Outside

How Canicross Saved My Relationship with My Unruly Rescue Dog

I couldn’t fix my dog’s behavior until we started running toward a shared goal—literally.

CBS News

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debt Relief on Your Own

Struggling with credit card debt? Taking a DIY approach to debt relief could be a smart move for certain borrowers.

Greater Good Magazine

Why Doesn’t the U.S. Have a Paid Family Leave Policy?

Paid leave advocate Orli Cotel explains the history of paid leave in the United States and how it impacts our lives in moments of hardship.

Greater Good Magazine

Do Couples With Similar Personalities Have Happier Relationships?

A new study suggests that when it comes to relationship happiness, your own personality matters more than your partner’s.

CNBC

These States Have Sales Tax Holidays in 2025. Here’s Who Stands to Benefit, Tax Experts Say

Some states are offering sales tax holidays to boost spending as President Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten to hike prices. Here’s what shoppers need to know.