Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

BBC Travel

The World’s Oldest Dessert?

Although chickpeas and beans don't usually belong in a pudding, they are core ingredients in one of the oldest – and, some say, one of the most delicious – desserts in the world.

Afar

The Secret Language of Istanbul’s Dream Weavers

Threads of beauty, history, and memory make a Turkish carpet much more than a souvenir.

Bustle

I Tried A Football-Inspired Workout That Was Delightfully Tough

Functional movements are the name of the game.

Knowable Magazine

The Road to Low-Carbon Concrete

For thousands of years, humanity has had a love affair with cement and concrete. But now, industry groups and researchers are seeking solutions to the huge amounts of carbon dioxide that cement-making generates.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Gorgeous Illustrations from Elizabeth Blackwell’s 18th-Century Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants

Time-travel to the dawn of modern medical science via the stunning art of a self-taught woman illustrator and botanist.

MIT Press Reader

A Brief 200-Year History of Synesthesia

A pioneering researcher who returned synesthesia to mainstream science traces the evolution of our understanding of the phenomenon.

Smithsonian Magazine

One of the Last Living Manhattan Project Scientists Looks Back at the Atomic Bomb Tests

Peter Lax was just a teenager when he went to Los Alamos to join the team that developed the deadly weapon.

The Hustle

Why Most Gas Stations Don’t Make Money From Selling Gas

With gas prices climbing up, you may think station owners are getting greedy. But the economics behind the pump tell a different story.

Bon Appétit

Learn This Simple Formula and Never Make a Mediocre Salad Again

Anyone can learn how to make salad. This formula will show you how to make a knockout one, every time.

Mental Floss

The Most Popular Dog Breed in Each U.S. State

New England loves golden retrievers. In other states across the country, you may be surprised which dog breed comes out on top.

Stylist

When Is a Workout Finished? 4 Signs You’ve Trained Hard Enough, Explained

Don’t know when to leave the gym? Here’s how to tell when you’ve done ‘enough’ exercise.

Epicurious

Do You Really Need to Skim Your Stock?

This one little step is the key to crystal clear stocks and restaurant-worthy demi-glaces.

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, July 2

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.

Aeon

Walk in These

Shoes are deeply personal, literally moulded to our lives. But they create our social lives as much as express them.

Blood in the Machine

How AI Is Killing Jobs in the Tech Industry

Tech workers at TikTok, Google, and across the industry share stories about how AI is changing, ruining, or replacing their jobs.

CBS News

Here’s What’s in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” That Passed the Senate

The Senate on Tuesday narrowly passed a massive spending and tax bill that includes signature policies of President Trump's second-term agenda in a 51-50 vote that required Vice President JD Vance to break a tie.

WIRED

My Couples Retreat With 3 AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them

I found people in serious relationships with AI partners and planned a weekend getaway for them at a remote Airbnb. We barely survived.

CNN

Discipline Is Overrated. Here’s What People Are Doing Instead.

While the conscious practice of discipline can serve as motivation for an action, discipline alone cannot create habits.

Vulture

7 New Books You Should Read This July

You should read as many of them as possible.

Texas Monthly

It Was Already One of Texas’s Strangest Cold Cases. Then a Secretive Figure Appeared.

Jason Landry’s disappearance confounded the state’s top investigators. When thousands of online sleuths got involved, intrigue turned into obsession.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

The Conversation

What Happens to Your Brain When You Watch Videos Online at Faster Speeds Than Normal

Lots of younger people play audiobooks and podcasts at faster speeds. The benefits are obvious, but researchers are uncovering downsides.

Undark

In California, Colleges Pay a Steep Price for Faulty AI Detectors

Millions have been spent to catch plagiarism and AI with tools from education company Turnitin. Is the tech worth it?

Context

Q&A: Heatwaves Hit Schools, Putting Millions of Children at Risk

UNICEF warns that heatwaves are pushing millions of children out of school and calls for climate policy to protect classrooms

Inverse

Jurassic World Rebirth Perfectly Captures One of Science’s Biggest Ethical Dilemmas

Should we make dinosaurs? How about extinct species? ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ faces this question sort of head on — and the experts have very clear answers.

ProPublica

These 5 Charts Show How Hotels Became New York’s Response to Homelessness

Social services agencies across the state now place nearly half of all individuals and families seeking shelter in hotels, leaving people without resources like food and help finding housing.

The Hollywood Reporter

‘Maxton Hall’ Author on German Trilogy Becoming a Hit Series, Books Being Published in English for First Time

Publisher Berkley is releasing the translated novels this year.

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

MIT Technology Review

What Comes Next for AI Copyright Lawsuits?

Remarkably little has been settled by recent rulings in favor of Anthropic and Meta.

Glamour

We’re Seeing Summer’s Fisherman Trend Everywhere—Here’s How to Style It

Mentally, we’re at Cape Cod.

GQ

‘The Idea of Style’: Jonathan Anderson Delivers in His Dior Debut

Cargo shorts, Rihanna, and aughts sleaze: inside the most anticipated runway show of the year.

Parents

4 Tips to Fight Off the ‘Phone Zombie’ After Putting Kids to Bed

Mental health experts discuss why we get so caught up in scrolling at certain times of the day, and how we can break the habit.

NYLON

Tucker Wetmore Could Get Used to This

After a whirlwind year, Tucker Wetmore opens up about fame, album No. 2, and the pop-ification of country (though he’d love to collab with Sabrina Carpenter).

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

Fast Company

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

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

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.

The Atlantic

How to Make Your Work Your Calling

Three ways to find purpose and meaning in a job.

Time

Are You Just Tired or Truly Burned Out?

Fatigue and burnout are similar, but one requires more serious attention.

Money.com

The Ultimate Guide to Paying Less for College

Running the numbers on typical college costs can leave you feeling breathless and wondering how you’re going to afford it. Sticker prices look staggering these days, especially for private colleges.

The Washington Post

Facing Entry-Level Job Crunch, New Grads Question the Value of a Degree

Gen Z is struggling to get a foot in the door professionally. They’re competing with AI and more experienced workers, and they feel alienated by hiring processes.

PBS News

4 Tips for New Grads Looking for Work in an Uncertain Market

Graduation season is winding down and millions of young people are gearing up to enter a confusing labor market. Employers and workers alike are grappling with the growing specter of generative artificial intelligence, uncertainty spurred by U.S.

The Guardian

I Was One of Those Men Who Couldn’t Stop Talking. Here’s How I Learned to Shut up and Listen

After realising how much I interrupted other people, I decided I needed to make a drastic change. Here’s how starting to listen changed my relationships – and made me happier.

VICE

5 Tips for Working Through Hard Times in a Relationship

To endure the more difficult phases, each partner must be willing to put in the work and committed to the connection.