Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Fatherly

How To Give Constructive Criticism That’s Actually Constructive

Go easy on the compliment sandwich, and other tips to help you become a go-to advice giver.

Nautilus

How to Understand Extreme Numbers

Some numbers are so large they are difficult to grasp, yet still necessary.

Bon Appétit

Peach and Prosciutto Sandwich

A sandwich that’s sure to be your next picnic MVP.

Vogue

The Best Places in the World to Travel Solo

Relish the opportunity to adventure alone.

Knowable Magazine

How the Placebo Effect Went Mainstream

Back when it was published in 1955, Henry Beecher’s paper paved the way for sounder drug trials and pushed scientists to better understand how we process pain.

Literary Hub

The Deeply Unsettling Noir of Dorothy B. Hughes

Celebrating the dark visions of literature's queen of noir.

CityLab

The Rise and Fall of the Klaxon, the World’s Most Annoying Car Horn

Klaxon automotive horns, once standard safety equipment, disappeared from the roads after World War I. But the tensions they exposed about urban noise still echo.

Popular Science

Quantum Computers Can’t Teleport Things—Yet

It’s almost impossible to simulate a good wormhole without more qubits.

MIT Press Reader

Alphonse Bertillon and the Troubling Pursuit of Human Metrics

To measure was to apprehend and be made accountable, and nowhere was this more resonant than in the identification and classification of criminals.

Mental Floss

28 Fascinating Facts About Time

Every person on Earth is living in the past, and more facts about time that are likely to hurt your brain.

The Guardian

How to Spot a Liar: 10 Essential Tells – From Random Laughter to Copycat Gestures

An ex-FBI agent, a psychologist and a fraud investigator share their best tips for detecting dishonesty.

Scientific American

Extreme Birding Competition Is a Cutthroat Test of Skill, Strategy and Endurance

A team of birders races to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours.

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

Monday, July 28

Vanity Fair

How Goop Culture Helped Create MAHA

The California-based gynecologist and Gwyneth biography source, Dr. Jen Gunter, on everything from how she views Gwyneth Paltrow’s legacy to the most difficult aspects of fighting pseudoscience claims.

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

The Guardian

The Rise and Fall of the British Cult That Hid in Plain Sight

Philippa Barnes was a child when her family joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an adult, she helped expose the shocking scale of abuse it had perpetrated.

The Associated Press

Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

The New Yorker

Mary Had Schizophrenia—Then Suddenly She Didn’t

Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?

NPR

Are High-Protein Snacks Worth the Hype? Here’s How to Assess

Protein has taken over the packaged-snack aisles at the grocery store. But do you need extra protein in your chips and muffins?

NBC News

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Event Is Not What You Think It Is

Nationally, extreme heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

SELF

3 Simple Steps to Keep Your Bananas From Rotting Way Too Soon

Expert-approved strategies for extending the life of this potassium-packed—but short-lived—fruit.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Smithsonian Magazine

More Than 90 Percent of the World’s Fungal ‘Hotspots’ Are Not Protected, New Study Suggests

Mycorrhizal fungi play an essential role in climate regulation and ecosystem health, and researchers have used A.I. to predict the locations that host a high diversity of these underground organisms

Reuters

Trump Signs Order Aimed at Curbing Big-Money College Sports Payouts

President Donald Trump waded into a debate over the influence of big-money payouts in college sports on Thursday, signing an executive order adding federal government scrutiny to the practice.

The Conversation

Mysterious Fossil May Rewrite Story of Skin and Feather Evolution in Reptiles

The fossil creature has outgrowths on its back that are neither hair nor feathers.

Domino

8 Bathroom Mirror Workarounds for When There’s a Window in Your Way

An awkwardly placed window was no match for the designers behind these creative bathrooms.

People

‘Ultimate,’ ‘A Little Bit Alexis’ and 13 Other Fake Songs We Still Can’t Get Out of Our Heads

From “A Little Bit Alexis” to “Smelly Cat” these songs have surpassed only existing within the worlds of their shows and gone on to become cultural phenomenons all on their own. In honor of ‘Freakier Friday’ and its fictional band’s anthem ‘Ultimate’, loo

HuffPost

These 8 Common Habits Could Increase Your Risk of Dementia

These common daily behaviors can impact your cognitive health – and take a toll on your overall health, too.

Fast Company

5 Job Search Habits Young Job Seekers Should Ditch Immediately

With the right approach, you can transform your job search from a source of frustration into a launchpad for the career you want.

Food & Wine

7 Ways to Make Your Morning Toast More Delicious, According to Chefs

From good butter to unexpected combinations like peanut butter and pickled vegetables, here’s how chefs upgrade a slice of toasted bread.

Bustle

An Honest Review of Lagree Workouts

What to know about the viral Lagree workout including how it differs from Pilates and the cost of a class.

The New York Times

Should I Blow the Whistle in a Hiring Process Biased in My Favor?

Is it right to accept a job when I know the company discriminated against another candidate?

Axios

Trump Team Rethinks Gaza Strategy After Six Months of Failure

“We need to do some serious rethinking,” a visibly frustrated Marco Rubio told a group of hostage families on Friday.

HuffPost

‘Feels Like a Dream’: Rookie Makes MLB History in 1 Pretty Fly Way

The first baseman added to his dominant July with a performance that left him “speechless” after the game.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Harvard Business Review

The Right Way to Prepare for a High-Stakes Conversation

Before commercial pilots push back from the gate, they complete a comprehensive preflight check to verify that every system functions correctly during the journey ahead.

NPR

Dear Life Kit: My Friend Says Ugly Things About Her Body and It Makes Me Anxious

Body-acceptance advocate Katie Sturino and Ronald Young Jr., host of the podcast Weight for It, answer listener questions about body image, weight loss drugs and bullying.

The Atlantic

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards

Their fees are getting higher—and their benefits are sometimes wildly complicated to redeem.

Parents

A Parent Let Their Son Choose What to Do With Money They Found–Here’s What He Decided

Doing real-time experiments like this in the wild can teach us a lot about our kids and ourselves as parents.

Kiplinger

Are You an Auto Theft Target? Discover the Clues

Thieves seized over 850,000 cars last year. See which models, states and behaviors draw the eyes of opportunists.

NPR

Home Sales Are Down. So Why Are Prices at an All-Time High?

Those with equity in a home can trade up more easily, while many first-time homebuyers are still stuck on the sidelines.

Fast Company

How to Go From Quiet to Commanding

An executive coach offers introverts five tips for sounding more confident. You’re smart, capable, and consistently deliver results. But in meetings, your voice disappears.

USA TODAY

Estate Sales Are Booming. Thank Gen Z

Environmentally-conscious young people are heading to estate sales for low cost, well-made products.

Time

What to Say to Someone With Cancer 

Some well-meaning phrases don’t always go over well.

NPR

Doctors Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Hormone Therapy for Menopause

The FDA may remove the warning labels on hormone replacement therapies used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Doctors say the warning is scaring people who could benefit from these treatments.

USA TODAY

Young People Always Worry About Social Security. Older People Are Joining Them.

Americans are worrying more about Social Security, and the Trump administration may be partly to blame.  In an AARP survey released July 22, only 36% of Americans voiced confidence in the future of the retirement trust fund, down from 43% in 2020.

The Week

How Will the New Tax Deductions on Auto Loans Work?

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited.