Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Bloomberg

Can Toothpaste Tubes Be Recycled Across the US? It’s Getting Closer

Three out of four plastic squeeze tubes on the US market are now made in a way that allows them to be recycled alongside shampoo bottles.

Epicurious

How to Pipe, Stripe, and Dip Meringue Cookies Like a Pro

Meringue has a reputation for being finicky, but these tips and recipes will have you piping in style.

The Guardian

Mobility Masterplan: 10 Essential Exercises for a Strong, Active, Happy Life – Whatever Your Age

Whether your goal is to get super-fit, or to stay independent as you get older, you need a combination of flexibility and strength. Here’s how to look after both your muscles and your joints.

Fast Company

4 Simple Steps for Negotiating a Higher Salary

Even after a tough economic year, you still have a right to negotiate, and be compensated fairly for your work.

Narratively

The Pirate Radio Broadcaster Who Occupied Alcatraz and Terrified the FBI

Over fifty years ago, John Trudell overcame tragedy to become the national voice for Native Americans—and a model for a new generation of activists.

BBC Future

The People Who Believe Plants Can Talk

While many gardeners believe talking to their plants encourages them to grow, there is a war of words in the scientific world about whether plants are listening, or even talking back.

Mental Floss

An Empty Boat in the Grand Canyon: The Disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde

Bessie and Glen Hyde made history with their Grand Canyon boat trip in 1928, but not for the reasons they intended.

MIT Press Reader

The Two-Century Quest to Quantify Our Senses

The quantification of bodies, senses, and experience can be traced back to mathematical and statistical techniques of the 19th century.

The Conversation

How Small Acts of Kindness and Connection Really Can Change the World

A psychologist explains how individual acts of kindness and connection can have a real impact on global change.

Bon Appétit

Parchment Paper Makes Any Pan a Nonstick Pan

The crispiest, crackliest salmon is within reach.

Vogue

The Case for Statement Glasses

Committing to a pair of large, (literally) in-your-face glasses is a shortcut to leveling up your personal style.

Inverse

I Went to Carl’s Jr.’s AI Drive-Thru and All I Got Was Sad

Fast food chains are experimenting with having AI assistants take orders. The results aren’t particularly satisfying.

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

Tuesday, July 22

Popular Science

Why Do Our Ears Pop on a Plane? An Audiologist Explains.

Tricks to fix it go beyond chewing gum.

New York Magazine

Inside the Media’s Traffic Apocalypse

The whole premise of internet publishing is starting to crumble.

Boston

Blood Feuds: The Fight Over Who Gets to Be Native American

A Rhode Island tribe’s quest for state recognition has sparked a controversy.

The New Atlantis

Does Marriage Have a Future?

From the Industrial Revolution to the pill to AI girlfriends, technology is unbundling what used to be marriage’s package deal.

Outside

Here’s Exactly What It Takes to Run—and Then Recover From—100 Miles

Physiologists track the calories burned and fluids consumed during a mountain ultra.

The Independent

30 Best New Books to Read

Discover debut novelists and immersive page-turners from acclaimed authors.

Virginia Quarterly Review

Dark Ride to the Source

Holding on to Joy at Disneyland.

Los Angeles Times

AI Can Write a Scene. It Can Pitch a Movie. So What Happens to the Screenwriters?

As generative AI reshapes Hollywood, screenwriters like Billy Ray, Paul Schrader, Bong Joon Ho and Todd Haynes, along with a new class of tech disruptors, are navigating the uncertain future of storytelling.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Parents

Dad Admits He’s Envious of Other Parents Who Are ‘Effortlessly Social’ at School Drop-Off

Even as parents, navigating social pressures with our individual personalities can be exhausting.

BBC

Parades, Flags and Songs: The Campaign to Force Ukrainian Children to Love Russia

Russian youth organisations are encouraging Ukrainian children to turn against their country.

History Extra

On One of WW2’s Deadliest Air Routes, Pilots’ Biggest Fear Was Surviving a Crash – Here’s Why

Journalist Caroline Alexander uncovers the stories of those who flew ‘the Hump’ – a little-known Allied supply mission that sent young pilots into uncharted skies – and toward a jungle so terrifying, any other fate seemed preferable.

ESPN

5 Numbers That Tell the Tale of Texas Rangers’ Lineup Woes

What happened to the mighty 2023 World Series champs? Here’s why the Rangers have gone off the rails.

Mother Jones

Los Angeles Is Rebuilding Very Slowly From Its Devastating Wildfires. Here’s Why.

Relaxing environmental rules is only one small step in a fraught process.

Inverse

Decades Later, Day of the Dead Is Secretly George A. Romero’s Best Zombie Movie

‘Night of the Living Dead’ put George A. Romero on the map, and ‘Dawn of the Dead’ made him famous, but the threequel might secretly be the best of them all.

Inverse

A Forgotten Superman Movie Changed Comics Canon Forever

One forgotten ‘Superman’ movie serial, ‘Atom Man vs. Superman’ set the stage for many things we take for granted today.

BBC

Social Media Revamp by 92-Year-Old President Struggles to Woo Young Cameroonians

Paul Biya is the world’s oldest president and wants to show he is on the pulse, but many are not convinced.

Bustle

Need a Break From Scrolling? Try an “Anti-Brain Rot” Routine

On TikTok, users are sharing their “anti-brain rot” routines that help them get off their phones.

Elle

Why Is Everyone Talking About ‘Skin Longevity’?

Anti-aging is canceled. Welcome to the era of the beauty biohack.

Vogue

The Future of Fashion Is Female: Nine Designers Leading the Way

From Prada to Tory Burch, Calvin Klein, Fendi, Victoria Beckham, and beyond: Women designers are pointing the way forward around the world.

Business Insider

‘Black Swan’ Author Nassim Taleb Shares 4 Life Lessons — and Reveals What Keeps Him Awake at Night

“The Black Swan” author Nassim Taleb told BI that discipline, health, and building the right skills are key ingredients for a good life.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNBC

What a Trump, Powell Faceoff Means for Your Money

Tensions are escalating between the White House and the Federal Reserve, with consumers caught in the middle.

CNBC

Student Loan Bills Could Double for Some Borrowers As Biden-Era Relief Expires

Many student loan borrowers could see their monthly bills more than double now that the Biden-era SAVE plan is defunct.

Stylist

Managers, Here’s How to Have an Effective 1-to-1, According to Career Experts

How to help your team members get the most from your meetings.

The Walrus

Before You Share That Health Tip, Read This

Misinformation is everywhere. And yes, some of it has probably gotten to you.

Fast Company

I’m a Two-Time Tech Founder. but Restaurants Are Where I Learned to Lead

The surprising lessons the conveyor belt sushi business taught me. Sudden equipment failures. Supply chain surprises. Retaining staff as the goalposts move in real time. These aren’t challenges I’ve faced as a tech founder—but I have faced them running restaurants.

The Week

How Can You Get the Maximum Social Security Retirement Benefit?

For many, Social Security benefits are a key part of their retirement plan. So it makes sense that you would want to get the most possible from this monthly source of income.

Money.com

Why You Probably Need Flood Insurance — Even if You Don't Live Near Water

Over the Fourth of July weekend, parts of central Texas were devastated by flash floods after the region was hit with the equivalent of four months' worth of rain in just a few hours. At least 134 people were killed, and more than 100 are still missing as of press time.

Yahoo

What Is ‘Revenge Saving,’ and Should You Hop on the Trend?

“Revenge saving” emphasizes making up for poor financial habits by being aggressively frugal or restrictive with your current spending.

GQ

What to Wear to a Job Interview, According to Hiring Experts

Make sure your suit fits, don’t dress too sexy, and other essential advice from professionals in law, tech, finance, and marketing.

Kiplinger

I Want to Buy an Annuity, but I’m Scared I’ll Get Ripped Off. Should I Get One Anyway?

An annuity is a way to achieve lifetime income in retirement, but you need to understand how this product works before making a purchase.

NPR

‘Panicking’: Why Recent College Grads Are Struggling to Find Jobs

Recent college graduates are facing one of the most challenging job markets in years — with the exception of the pandemic period — even as the overall unemployment rate remains low.

Business Insider

The Hot New MBA Hustle

Millennials’ hottest new career pivot: ditching the corporate grind to run unsexy small businesses.