Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Literary Hub

10 Great Novels of Middle Age

If ‘Trainspotting’ can make it there, anyone can.

The Atlantic

The Interior Lives of Hoarders

Cultural portrayals of hoarding tend to invite pity rather than empathy, revulsion rather than self-reflection. A poem masterfully refocuses the lens.

Inverse

In 1977, A Computer Programmer Fixed a Massive Bug — And Created an Existential Crisis

Here’s what vintage typesetting, defense software, and the Apple Lisa have to do with a ubiquitous computing feature.

The Conversation

Can You Change Your Personality?

Psychology research says yes, by tweaking what you think and do.

Scientific American

Greatest Migration on Earth Happens Under Darkness Every Day

Trillions of tiny animals may be coordinating their movements in ways that affect every organism on the planet.

Bloomberg Businessweek

In a MedSpa, Your Surgeon May Be a Nurse

Invasive procedures are being done by nurse practitioners. Should liposuction be one of them?

BBC Travel

‘A Love Letter to the World of Curries’

In one of his last interviews, chef Raghavan Iyer expressed his hope for his final cookbook to become his lasting legacy to Indian cooking, especially the versatility of curry.

The Guardian

Over-60s Who Live Apart From Partners Have Better Wellbeing

Enjoying a romantic relationship without cohabiting, or ‘living apart, together’, found to be a popular arrangement.

Popular Science

Why Your Dog Needs to Smell the World

Let that powerful nose run free.

Good Housekeeping

This Key Lime Pound Cake Is Better Than Pie

Sweet and tart in the best of ways.

Greater Good Magazine

How Much Control Do You Have Over Your Own Happiness?

Social conditions and inequality affect well-being. So, why do we keep insisting “happiness is a choice”?

Quanta Magazine

A Short Guide to Hard Problems

What’s easy for a computer to do, and what’s almost impossible? Those questions form the core of computational complexity. We present a map of the landscape.

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 19

Vanity Fair

What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison

Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk opens up about her 45 days in a South Louisiana processing facility—and the generous and compassionate women she met.

The 19th

She Helped Get Rid of Measles in Her County. This Is Her Advice on Stopping Its Spread.

Lubbock County in Texas has been free of measles cases for more than 50 days. But Katherine Wells, director of the Lubbock Health Department, is staying vigilant.

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.

The Week

Why Your Body Ages Rapidly in Two ‘Bursts’

Scientists have found that ageing increases in our mid-40s and 60s.

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.

NPR

4 Confidence-Boosting Ways to Overcome the Fear of Flirting in Real Life

Does talking to a cute stranger make your palms sweat? Confidence coach Regina Bonds offers advice on to how to put yourself out there, including how to show interest without coming off as creepy.

Grub Street

Is All This Salt Killing Us?

Doctors have long warned about the risks of too much sodium. But in an era of Maximum Flavor, we crave it more than ever.

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.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

TechCrunch

Weekly Subscriptions Dominate IOS App Revenue, Report Finds

Weekly subscriptions have now become one of the most popular ways iOS apps are earning revenue, with these plans contributing 46% to the bottom line,

Popular Science

The Clever Way Magellanic Penguins Ride—and Adjust to—Ocean Currents

They may waddle on land, but these seabirds are master navigators at sea.

The New York Times

E.P.A. Delays Required Cleanups of Toxic Coal Ash Landfills

The Trump administration will give utilities around the country an additional year to come up with a plan to clean up contaminated waterways.

Real Simple

7 Ways to Make Your Bedroom Look More Expensive (Without Renovating)

These bedroom updates will give you the look of luxury without the price tag.

Den Of Geek

Journalism Is the Real Superpower in Superman

While lighthearted and buoyant, James Gunn’s Superman grounds its entire universe in a dedication to the truth and damn good journalism at the Daily Planet.

Gizmodo

A Surge of Earthquakes in Alaska Is Raising Red Flags

The quake that struck Alaska’s southern coast on Wednesday, July 16 is part of a larger sequence that may continue to unfold in destructive ways.

Vox

Which Matters More for the Economy — Babies or Robots?

Falling birth rates and AI automation are reshaping the same future.

SB Nation

Nneka Ogwumike Is the Fulcrum of the WNBA, on and Off the Court

Madame President Nneka Ogwumike is fighting for a championship in Seattle while also fighting for the rights of every WNBA in CBA negotiations.

Dwell

The Surprising Connection Between Health Insurance and Foreclosure

As we stare down the impact Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will have on healthcare access, local legislatures must act to prevent the evictions that can arise from medical debt.

History Today

How Hertha Ayrton Made Waves

During her daily walks she had become fascinated by the sand ripples that repeatedly formed beneath the waves, only to be washed away by the retreating tide. Before long her miniature model sea in the zinc bath provided convincing evidence that the standa

The Associated Press

Searching for Pennies: With the Cut in Federal Funding Public Broadcasters Are Looking to Cope

Trump had called for the cuts, saying public media’s news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans, and threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn’t fall in line.

Discover

Water Hidden Within Lunar Soil Could Make Life on the Moon Possible for Astronauts

Learn about the technology that may help astronauts survive on the moon by extracting water from lunar soil and producing fuel ingredients.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

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.

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.

CNBC

These College Majors Have the Best Job Prospects — and They Aren’t What Students Expect

Which college major students choose often has significant implications for job prospects and future career potential.

The Walrus

Why Everyone You Know Is Suddenly a Birder

A pandemic pastime has grown into something deeper.

The New York Times

You Saved and Saved for Retirement. Now You Need a Plan to Cash Out.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are more worried about running out of money in retirement than dying, and many retirees could be on track to turn that fear into a stark reality.

Fast Company

Why Do We Trust Certain People (Even When We Shouldn’t)?

The science of who is (and isn’t) trustworthy. Why are some people perceived as more trustworthy than others?

Harvard Business Review

Leading Is Emotionally Draining. Here’s How to Recover.

Emotional depletion is a real and significant tax of modern leadership. Recovery is no longer a luxury.

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?