Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Stylist

Back Exercises With Dumbbells: Build a Stronger Back to Ease Aches and Pains

Prevent back pain in just 10 minutes with this quick and effective workout.

The Washington Post

Your Standing Desk Isn’t Making You Any Healthier

Standing for more than two hours a day doesn’t protect against the cardiovascular risks of too much sitting.

The Conversation

Five Tips to Help You Get Your Children Reading for Pleasure

...with five books chosen by children.

Outside

How to Plan a Successful Road Trip

Whether you’re going for a weekend, a week, or a month, there are some general rules to live by.

Delish

This Is the Healthiest Vegetable in the World, According to Experts

Here’s why watercress is so good for you.

Nautilus

How to Solve the Hardest Logic Puzzle Ever

A step-by-step guide to True, False, and Random.

Epicurious

How to Store Basil

If you want that bouquet of basil to last more than a day, keep it on your countertop.

The Guardian

When Depression Wears a Smile, Even Psychiatrists Like Me Can Be Deceived

By the time mental ill health is visible, it’s probably very bad. The best risk assessment is to listen rather than look.

WIRED

How to Responsibly Dispose of Your Electronics

Get rid of old, broken, and unused devices—even Lightning cables—without adding to the e-waste problem.

Esquire

‘How Can You Still Be a Christian?’ He Asked. It’s...Complicated.

A colleague asked me, a queer man who grew up being told my sexuality was a sin, how I could still be Christian. Here’s my answer.

Greater Good Magazine

What Happened When I Wrote My Mom a Thank-You Letter

When she turned 50, Nancy Davis Kho wrote 50 gratitude letters—and the first one was to her mom.

Literary Hub

The 32 Most Iconic Poems in the English Language

Plus some bonus poems, because we love you.

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

Friday, July 11

Texas Monthly

At 40, She Discovered She Was One of America’s Best Free Divers

Sara Burnett went from an introductory course to a world championship in just over a year.

WIRED

AI Is a Lousy Chef

I asked an AI-powered recipe generator to make some menus. It didn’t tell me to put glue in my guacamole, but the results didn’t come close to besting recipes written by professionals.

The New Yorker

How to Save a Dog

For nearly a year, a motley crew scoured New Orleans for a shaggy white mutt named Scrim.

The New York Times

How a Single Overdose Unraveled an Empire of Heroin

A man’s death after using “Flow” in a small Vermont city exposed a drug operation that spanned continents and sent a New York prosecutor on a heartbreaking journey.

ABC

Finding Robert Bogucki, the Man Who Disappeared on Purpose

In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert. Why was he willing to risk his life, and why do some people need to get lost in order to feel found?

Elle

How a ‘Breakup Moon’ Trip Helped Us Say Goodbye

My boyfriend and I knew our relationship was over. We decided to go to New Zealand anyway.

Slate

The Menagerie Lurking in Rural America

Many people still own exotic animals like they’re any other pet. But they’re not.

Substack

The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters

Young Americans today spend 70 percent less time attending or hosting parties than they did at the beginning of the 21st century. Why?

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Variety

Court Strikes Down FTC’s ‘Click-to-Cancel’ Rule, Which Was Aimed at Letting Consumers Drop Services Easily

A federal appeals court vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s Click to Cancel rule -- which was to go into effect next week -- on procedural grounds.

Axios

The Latest Tariffs Could Make Your Shoes a Lot More Expensive

One estimate suggests shoe prices could rise as much as 37% in the short term.

Elle

The Best Street Style Photos From Paris Haute Couture Week

Dua Lipa! Cardi B! We’re capturing all the top looks on the ground in Paris.

The Hollywood Reporter

Meet the Trump-Loving Union Boss Who Thinks He Can Save Hollywood

Sean O’Brien, the colorful and combative leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is providing an unexpected line to the White House. But does Hollywood want him as its diplomat?

Eating Well

7 Sneaky Signs You Could Have Cognitive Decline, According to Experts

Experts share some common signs that may go unnoticed, plus what to do if you think you’re experiencing cognitive decline.

Vogue

How to Make the Most of a Full Moon

Full moon rituals are believed to have special power as they harness energies that align with our subconscious rhythms.

The 19th

After a Child Care Worker Is Detained by ICE, a Community Is Left Reeling

Nicolle Orozco Forero is one of the thousands of immigrant women who provide child care for American children, and one of the few who cares for children with disabilities. Now she and her seriously ill son are in ICE custody.

Polygon

Every DC Movie and TV Show Scheduled for 2025 and Beyond

A look ahead at upcoming Batman and Supergirl projects, and more DC plans beyond Superman.

Harper's Bazaar

What Happens When ICE Comes to Your School

In a Los Angeles neighborhood targeted by ICE, a mother struggles to keep the dream of a free world alive for her son

Big Think

The Top Quark Isn’t a Loner After All: “Toponium” Is Real!

Can the top quark, the short-lived particle of all, bind with anything else? Yes it can! New results at the LHC demonstrate toponium exists.

Vogue

How This Seaside Tuscan Hotel Became a Cult Retreat for the Fashion World

On its 60th anniversary, the legendary Hotel Il Pellicano is as buzzy—and starry—as ever.

Context

School’s Out for Summer: What Does Extreme Heat Do to Children?

What happens to a child’s body when they sit in class during a heatwave and what does this mean for their long-term health?

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Psyche

What to Do When Someone Goes on the Defensive

Our natural impulses often make matters worse. Here’s an approach that works, grounded in conflict resolution and psychology.

USA TODAY

Increase Your Social Security Income in Retirement With Three Powerful Moves

There's a reason people are commonly advised not to retire on Social Security alone. The average monthly benefit won't go very far in helping seniors cover their costs.

Harvard Business Review

New Research on Why Teams Overwork—and What Leaders Can Do About It

Why do so many high-performing professionals keep working at a punishing pace, even when it damages their health, relationships, and personal well-being?

NBC News

Job Scams Are on the Rise and More People Are Falling for Them

As job-seekers look for work in a challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to job scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Vox

For Years, Women Complained That This Medical Procedure Was Painful. Doctors Are Finally Listening.

How a common birth control method became the center of a reckoning.

Harvard Business Review

How to Identify the Perfect Cofounder

One of the first and most important decisions entrepreneurs make is whether to go it alone or bring on cofounders.

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.

The New York Times

Measles Cases Hit Record High, 25 Years After U.S. Eliminated the Disease

Experts worry that if vaccination rates do not improve, deadly outbreaks will become the new normal.

Gizmodo

This Cough Syrup Ingredient Might Actually Slow Dementia

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

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.

The Atlantic

I Fought Plastic. Plastic Won

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

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.