Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Romper

How to Talk to Your Kids About War & Help Them Feel Safe

Wars continue to happen in all corners of the world, and children are going to have questions.

Dwell

The Rise and Resurgence of the Great American Row House

Throughout U.S. history, the row house has endured and adapted as an underappreciated model for accessible urban housing.

The Washington Post

Are You My Sponge?

There are as many types of sponges as there are household tasks. Find the one that’s right for the job.

The Drive

How to Change a Car Battery

The basic steps to swap out a dead battery for a new one.

Greater Good Magazine

Seven Ways to Help Someone with Anxiety

Knowing how anxiety works can help you to better support loved ones without inadvertently making their anxiety worse.

Fast Company

How to Tap Into Your Brain’s 4 Attention States to Get More Done

Instead of using traditional time management techniques, we need to manage our attention and workflow.

The Conversation

5 Things You Can Do to Make Your Microbiome Healthier

Look after your gut microbes and they’ll look after you.

Narratively

Confessions of a Failed Self-Help Guru

I traveled around the country telling strangers how to better their lives—until I learned that those offering to solve your problems are often the ones who need help.

Inc.

Want to Make Difficult Conversations Easy? Try This 1 Counterintuitive Trick, According to Psychology

The anxiety you feel before entering a tough conversation can be greatly mitigated.

Quartz

Professional Romance Novelists Can Write 3,000 Words a Day. Here’s How They Do It.

Insider tips from some of the best hustlers in publishing.

The Washington Post

These ‘Tuna’ Melts Show Vegan Cooking Can Be About Abundance, Too

From Jenné Claiborne’s book, “Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes,” this sandwich evokes the seafood salad without any fish.

Afar

6 U.S. Islands Where You Can’t Help but Slow Down

Whether you’re strolling the coast of an Atlantic island or savoring the sunset on Hawaii’s low-key paradise, you’ll be surprised at how quickly time becomes irrelevant.

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, August 15

BBC

A Dating App, a Niqab and a 9mm Gun: How a US Woman Was Hired to End a UK Family Feud

The investigation into the Wisconsin native revealed her to be “fairly unexceptional” with virtually no “criminal footprint”. And it remains unclear why she became a would-be contract killer.

The Conversation

Can Air Conditioning Really Make You Sick? A Microbiologist Explains.

If an air conditioning system malfunctions or isn’t properly maintained, it can become contaminated with infectious microbes.

BBC

Why ‘Best Time to Visit’ No Longer Applies

Climate change is rewriting the rulebook for trip planning – and travellers need to adapt.

CBS News

This Car Ranks as America’s Most-Stolen Vehicle

Here’s why one Chevrolet model is the most-stolen type of car, according to a new report.

NPR

Why the Origin of the Word ‘Dog’ Remains a Mystery

They’re known as man’s best friends, fur babies, pooches. But the most widely used word for these beloved animals — “dog” — is also a great linguistic mystery.

NPR

Recommendation: New Books Published This Week

A portrait of the lucrative drug-treatment industry; a memoir of a female firefighter; debut fiction from an Emmy-winning TV writer; and a brand new Karin Slaughter thriller.

ESPN

The Predatory Web of Sextortion Increasingly Ensnares Young Athletes

A Michigan teen was goaded into sharing an intimate photo that scammers threatened to expose unless he paid up.

The Guardian

Why Do I Feel So Much Worse After a Nap – and How Can I Avoid It?

Waking up from a nap feeling groggy, tired or ill? Experts say it’s common. Here’s what could be going wrong.

Third Places Are Being Reimagined—and Welcoming Travelers in the Process

Outside of home and work, spaces like parks, food halls and libraries are stepping up with social offerings.

Vox

Are We Living in the Movie ‘Her’ yet?

AI will undoubtedly shape the next 25 years. We just don’t know how yet.

Outside

Exploring Tennessee’s Top Lakes

The state’s most famed fishing legend partners with its most beloved lakes to protect and improve premier destinations for angling adventures

Mental Floss

The Surprising Reason Behind Slimy Deli Meat (and Whether It’s Safe to Eat)

What to do when you discover a sheen on your salami.

Homes & Gardens

Get Bigger and Better Pumpkins by Planting Them With These 7 Companion Crops

Plus, discover what not to plant with your pumpkins

Vox

What a 62-Year-Old Maid Explains About Childhood

This quietly subversive book has been captivating kids for generations.

Vox

The 25 Pieces of Culture That Explain the Last 25 Years

From Lord of the Rings to the ramen craze to Ozempic, the cultural touchstones that help us understand the 21st century.

Fast Company

The Quiet Ban That Could Change How AI Talks to You

With no federal rules in place, Illinois, Nevada, and Utah are crafting their own protections for patients.

USA TODAY

It Was Sold in 1867, but Some Russians Want Alaska Back From the US

Way back in 1991, as the once-mighty Soviet Union disintegrated and Westerners cheered, Vladimir Putin’s favorite rock and roll band released “Don’t Fool Around, America,” a patriotic hit about an even older lost cause – Russia’s 1867 sale of Alaska to the United States.

Canary Media

Forcing Dirty Power Plants to Stay Open Would Cost Americans Billions

The Trump admin’s scheme to keep old fossil-fuel plants running could saddle utility customers with nearly $6 billion a year in unnecessary costs, a report finds.