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.

Stylist

This Is How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets and Bed (and the Best Way to Keep It Clean)

Have you always wondered when the right time is to wash your bed sheets? We’ve got you covered.

Mental Floss

Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap To Some People?

The herb’s unique flavor can make a dish for some and ruin it for others.

MIT Press Reader

How Expectations and Conditioning Shape Our Response to Placebos

Kathryn Hall, an expert on placebos, considers the ways that expectations and learning affect our response to them.

Greater Good Magazine

Three TV Series Showing Us How to Bridge Generation Gaps

If you can’t begin to imagine a thriving multigenerational, multicultural future, turn on the tube.

Fast Company

Emotional Intelligence Is the Real Secret to Getting Promoted Faster

Your technical skills probably won’t secure you that management role, but these seven habits might.

Smithsonian Magazine

The Scientist Using Bugs to Help Solve Murders

At crime scenes around the world, the forensic entomologist Paola Magni is taking her field into uncharted waters.

CityLab

When the School Bus Doesn’t Come

The school commute is turning into a nightmare for many families, as cities across the US grapple with a severe driver shortage.

Nautilus

Galactic Settlement and the Fermi Paradox

The results of galactic colonization models are a mixed bag for SETI optimists.

The Hustle

The $500m Smiley Face Business

Nearly 50 years ago, one man ‘invented’ the modern smiley face. Then, another man halfway across the world made it into a multimillion-dollar cash cow.

Literary Hub

Writing Wisdom from Anne Carson: “It is Very Fun to Delete Stuff”

And other insights from one of our greatest living writers.

MEL Magazine

How Did an Entire Sri Lankan Handball Team Vanish in Germany?

Fox News called them terrorists. Their home country pretended they never existed. But in the end, they were only doing what was best for their families.

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

Sunday, July 6

Smithsonian Magazine

In a Milestone for Manhattan, a Pair of Coyotes Has Made Central Park Their Home

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives.

CNN

A Couple Tried for 18 Years to Get Pregnant. AI Made It Happen.

As artificial intelligence shapes fertility care, it’s now helping doctors find hidden sperm.

The Atlantic

The Feminine Pursuit of Swoleness

A new book considers how weight lifting can help you unlearn diet culture.

KCRW

Want Better Bakes? Here’s What Your Ingredients Actually Do

Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

New York Magazine

'People Want That African Euphoria'

Black Americans are moving to Ghana — and driving up the cost of living for everyone around them.

The New York Times

He’s Ringo. And Nobody Else Is.

As he turns 85, one of the last surviving Beatles is still musically curious, dispensing his signature wisdom, and preaching the gospel of peace and love.

Bon Appétit

An Inside Look at the Best Snack Trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

At the Comic Con of snacks, we track down the latest in sweet treats, sauces, and drinks.

CNN

Here’s Who Stands to Gain From the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill.’ And Who May Struggle

President Donald Trump has promised that the “big, beautiful bill” passed by Congress will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation in American history.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

PS

The Curious Case of PDA at Amusement Parks

Yep, it’s a real thing: here’s why people love engaging in PDA at amusement parks, according to a relationship expert.

Elle

Let’s Talk About the Jurassic World Rebirth Ending

The beasts might be prehistoric, but the film is oddly prescient.

SELF

If Most People Get HPV at Some Point, Do You Need to Tell Partners You Have It?

Ob-gyns share how to keep you and your partners as safe as possible.

Inc. Magazine

The World’s Smartest Growth Hack Started 29 Years Today. Here’s the Inspiring Story

Somebody had to come up with the idea first.

NBC News

NBA Free Agency: Breaking Down the Best and Worst Moves So Far This Offseason

The Denver Nuggets have made shrewd moves, while the Lakers have caused confusion.

Fast Company

Stella McCartney’s New Plant-Based Sneakers Can Be Composted

Even sustainable shoes usually have plastic soles. But the S-Wave’s soles are made out of a new bioplastic that’s entirely biodegradable.

BBC

‘It’s Groundhog Day’: Ukraine’s Sky Defenders Stuck in Relentless Battle

Under fire of 100 drones a night, there’s little talk of a ceasefire in the front-line city of Sumy.

Vox

Everything You Need to Know About Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”

The high political and economic stakes of Trump’s wide-ranging legislative agenda touching on everything from taxes to immigration to fossil fuels.

CBS News

Ken Burns on How the American Revolution “Turned the World Upside Down”

Filmmaker Ken Burns says the American Revolution created a “new thing called a citizen.”

CNET

We Found the 8 Most Common Foods With Microplastics

It’s not just seafood anymore. Check your fridge for these other foods that might contain microplastics.

Vogue

16 Cookbooks Defining the Way We’re Cooking (and Entertaining) in 2025

We’re only halfway through 2025, and already our shelves—and stovetops—are groaning with the bounty of this year’s best cookbooks.

Popular Mechanics

Physicists Found the Ghost Haunting the World’s Most Famous Particle Accelerator

An invisible force has long eluded detection within the halls of the world’s most famous particle accelerator—until now.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

DW

Paris Reopens Seine River for Public Swimming

Parisians have begun bathing in the Seine for the first time in over 100 years after a ban was lifted. The French capital has created three swimming zones along the river as part of its Olympic legacy.

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.

Men's Health

How Long It Should Take to Walk a Mile—and How That Can Help to Improve Your Fitness

Whether you're looking to move more or you want to upgrade your daily stroll, these tips will help you pick up the pace.

Lifehacker

Five Psychological Tricks You Can Use to Make Yourself Feel Happier

It’s easy to see why being happy is such a challenge these days. People are working jobs they hate, struggling to pay bills, and living in an increasingly isolated, digitally driven world.

Fast Company

Why Office Gossip Can Be Good for the Workplace (If It’s the Right Kind of Gossip)

Gossip at work is inevitable. But what exactly workers gossip about can be key in dictating company culture. Rumor has it that gossip can be a positive force in workplace cultures, under the right circumstances.

The Conversation

Self Determination Theory: How to Use It to Boost Wellbeing

A foundational idea in self-determination theory is that we have three basic psychological needs: for autonomy, competence and relatedness.

The New York Times

Illness Took My Mother’s Independence, but It Gave Us Something Precious

An immune condition changed my mom’s life — and taught us to see art differently.

Fast Company

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

Plan to connect with loved ones and plan to disconnect from work.

The Guardian

How Sorry Are You? Why Learning to Apologize Well Could Save Your Relationships

Got something to say sorry for? Here are words that have no place in your apologies, according to those who have spent years analysing them.

The New York Times

Better Half

The midpoint of the year is an opportune moment to look back at where we’ve been, and set our sights for where we want to go.

The New York Times

Gen Z, It Turns Out, Is Great at Saving for Retirement

Brynnley Beckman is only 23, but she is already thinking about retirement. She teaches ninth grade biology at the Shelton School in Dallas and contributes 3 percent of her salary to an employer-sponsored retirement fund. She hopes to increase her contribution by 1 percent each year.

CNBC

Here’s the Average 401(K) Balance by Age

When it comes to our retirement nest egg, we can't help but wonder where we stand compared to our cohorts.