Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Architectural Digest

How to Remove Rust From Metal Surfaces—From Garden Tools to Vintage Finds

Seven proven ways to remove rust corrosion in just a couple of hours.

Atlas Obscura

Exit Interview: I Was a Black, Female Thru-Hiker on the Appalachian Trail

On joining an exclusive group that’s 75 percent male and overwhelmingly white.

Afar

Leap of Faith: 1 Dad, 2 Teenagers, and a Last-Minute Trip to Oman

A Pulitzer Prize-winning author watches his twin boys jump from cliffs as his preconceptions melt away.

Apartment Therapy

The 5-Minute Stretching Routine You Should Do Daily

“You can’t underestimate the value of reconnecting with your body.”

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.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Epictetus on Love and Loss: The Stoic Strategy for Surviving Heartbreak

“Who is good if he knows not who he is? and who knows what he is, if he forgets that things which have been made are perishable, and that it is not possible for one human being to be with another always?”

Mental Floss

Albert Einstein’s Letter About UFOs

Did Einstein believe saucers came from space? Or were UFOs some kind of military technology?

Fast Company

How to Trick Your Brain Into Not Getting Bored

Disengagement isn’t a motivation problem–it’s biological.

GQ

How to Go to Sleep Fast (and Stay Down for the Night)

An 11-point plan to go to sleep, stay asleep, and wake up full of energy the next day.

CityLab

When Cities Went Electric

You might know about Tesla vs. Edison. In cities, it was Edison vs. Westinghouse.

MEL Magazine

The Inside Story of John Tesh’s ‘Roundball Rock,’ the ‘NBA on NBC’ Theme Song

Everything had to go right for ‘Roundball Rock’ to become basketball’s most iconic melody. It started with a dream — and a frantic answering machine message home.

Epicurious

For the Easiest, Crispiest Fried Garlic, Use Your Microwave

This crunchy, savory topping comes together in a small bowl—and in just a few minutes.

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

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 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.

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.

BBC

‘It’s Just a Weird, Weird Bird’: Why We Got the Dodo So Absurdly Wrong

The extinct flightless pigeon has captured imaginations for over 400 years. Experts and artists are now revealing how much we have distorted what the dodo was really like.

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.

Virginia Quarterly Review

Dark Ride to the Source

Holding on to Joy at Disneyland.

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.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

The Hollywood Reporter

Netflix Profit Surges, Setting up Battle of Titans With YouTube

In its second-quarter earnings report, the streaming giant disclosed operating income of $3.8 billion and a margin of 34.1 percent, up double digits from a year ago.

Fast Company

Internet Regulation Is Entering Its Hall Pass Era

Sweeping new age verification laws in the U.K. and U.S. aim to protect children—but critics warn they could undermine privacy, harm vulnerable users, and end the last remnants of online anonymity.

Essence

Is Your State on the List? These Are the Places Where Debt Is Surging in 2025

From credit delinquencies to bankruptcy filings, these states are showing the biggest signs of financial distress in 2025.

Fast Company

The 6 Attachments Sabotaging Your Work

A psychologist unpacks the attachments that are dragging us down and impacting productivity and happiness on the job.

The New Yorker

How Dartmouth Became the Ivy League’s Switzerland

The school has attracted attention for its refusal to join the higher-ed resistance and, perhaps not coincidentally, for its avoidance of any direct sanctions by the Trump Administration.

Inverse

James Cameron’s Forgotten First Sci-Fi Movie Just Got a 4K Upgrade

Before ‘Avatar,’ before ‘Aliens,’ and before even ‘Piranha II,’ the legendary director cut his teeth on a forgotten B-movie.

The Art of Manliness

How to Clean a Floor or Box Fan

In the midst of the summer heat, I’ve always got a floor fan (or two) going in my garage gym. Lately, as I’ve gone to switch it on, I’ve thought, “Dang, that’s really dirty . . . how the heck do you clean this thing?” I decided to find out and get this jo

Axios

Congress Votes to Strip More Than $1 Billion in Funding for NPR, PBS

The cuts are expected to hit local member stations the hardest, especially those in rural communities.

Condé Nast Traveler

US Will Begin Charging Some Tourists a $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’

Everything to know about the new fee, including who will need to pay it and the full list of exempt countries.

NBC News

AI Is Helping Patients Fight Insurance Company Denials

Stephanie Nixdorf’s insurance company repeatedly declined to cover a drug to treat her arthritis. That changed after she sent an appeal letter crafted with help from AI.

Architectural Digest

The Best Closet Systems to Prevent Clothes From Piling Up

Sleek, stylish shelving that keeps mess to a minimum

CBS News

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans Over 50 Are Delaying Retirement Due to Economic Concerns, Survey Finds

About 23% of people over 50 want to delay their retirements over financial readiness and economic worries, a survey found.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

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.

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.