Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Inc.

A Little-Known Hack to Learn a New Skill in a Fraction of the Time

It’s called ‘deliberate practice’ and it’s a proven way for your staff to master a new skill in a fraction of the time.

The Kitchn

Caramelized Tomato Paste Pasta

A delectable dinner solution that uses a whole can of tomato paste.

BBC Worklife

Why Do We Buy Into the ‘Cult’ of Overwork?

Overwork culture is thriving; we think of long hours and constant exhaustion as a marker of success. Given what we know about burnout, why do we do give in?

Romper

I Did Everything Right… And Ended Up With A Picky Eater Anyway

You can’t control it, so don’t sweat it.

Quanta Magazine

The Architect of Modern Algorithms

Barbara Liskov pioneered the modern approach to writing code. She warns that the challenges facing computer science today can’t be overcome with good design alone.

Kiplinger

Three ‘Hidden Costs’ of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

HSAs offer valuable tax benefits, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says hidden costs can erode those advantages.

Mental Floss

Why Is Row 13 Missing on So Many Airplanes?

United is one of several airlines that avoids including a row 13 on their flights, but not just for the reason you probably think.

Outdoor Life

Camping Hacks: 51 Tips and Tricks for Your Next Camping Trip

These hacks and tips will make for an even more successful season outside.

Popular Science

What ‘Gentle Parenting’ Can Teach Us About Care, Relationships, and Communication

Its focus on communication is being praised on social media—but what does the evidence say?

Dwell

Composting for Absolute Beginners

How to build (and tend) your very own pile of green gold.

Smithsonian Magazine

The Texas City Where Mermaids Inspire River Conservation

“Aquamaids” were once the stars at an amusement park in San Marcos. Now, they are making a comeback to help the environment.

Stylist

We Tried Walking With Ankle Weights – Here’s Why It Was Such a Good Workout

Stylist staff strapped on a pair of ankle weights to see if channelling your ‘80s fitness icon is the key to stronger striding.

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

The New Yorker

Why Hasn’t Medical Science Cured Chronic Headaches?

More than 1.2 billion people worldwide suffer from migraine and other debilitating conditions that are under-studied and often not taken seriously.

GQ

Travis Kelce on His Upcoming Season, Post-NFL Ambitions, and Life With Taylor Swift

After a grueling Super Bowl loss, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end spent his summer vacation focused on coming back stronger than ever.

BBC

How Kentucky Bourbon Went From Boom to Bust

Tariffs, oversupply and teetotaling Gen-Zs have all contributed to the downfall of one of America’s most iconic liquors.

Food & Wine

I Tracked a Wild Salmon From Sea to Plate — What I Learned Surprised Me

Wild salmon is abundant in Alaska and coveted by chefs — but most Americans eat the cheaper, milder farmed kind. Journalist Kim Cross set out to learn why — and how to cook the real thing right.

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.

ESPN

How Happy Are You As a Fan? Find Out Where You Score in Our Sports Misery Index.

Whether there’s confetti falling from your team’s last title or you’re still waiting to see your first, you probably have an idea of how satisfied - or miserable - you are as a fan. But could you put a number on it?

The New York Times

He Announced His Intention to Die. The Dinner Invitations Rolled In.

In early December, a 28-year-old Ghanaian artist and entrepreneur named Joseph Awuah-Darko announced on Instagram that he wanted to die.

New York Magazine

The Crypto Maniacs and the Torture Townhouse

How two men charged with an outrageous kidnapping scheme introduced a new kind of crime to the city.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

MakeUseOf

I Turned My Phone’s Back Tap Into Productivity Gold and Now I Get More Done

This simple feature makes everyday iPhone tasks twice as fast.

The Hollywood Reporter

The 44 Most Powerful Players in Podcasting in 2025

Whether they’re behind the mic or behind the scenes, these trailblazers are steering the maturing medium through an increasingly crowded landscape and critical transitions to video and AI.

Pew Research Center

How Americans View the Trump Administration’s Approach to the Russia-Ukraine War

59% of Americans say they are not confident that Trump can make wise decisions about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Defector

A Playlist of Pop That Sounds Like My Gamer Youth

When I listen to new music, one of the biggest influences I hear—both in the sound and the choices of samples—is video games. Specifically, the games and sounds I remember hearing constantly while I was growing up.

MIT Press Reader

Flat Earthers on a Cruise

How evolution wired us to act against our own best interests.

Defector

The Worst Songs We Love So Much

I’ve always struggled with the idea of a “guilty pleasure.”

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.

Time

Here’s Exactly What to Eat for All-Day Energy

Step one: Eat a strong breakfast.

Smithsonian Magazine

What Is a Black Moon? The Unusual Sky Phenomenon Will Occur Later This Month, but Don’t Expect to See It

A seasonal black moon, to appear on August 22 or 23, is the third of four new moons within an astronomical season

Nautilus

They Came for Climate Science. Then the Storms Came.

The administration’s cuts to climate research are destroying decades of science—and life-saving forecasts.

The Guardian

Premier League: 10 Things to Look Out for on the Opening Weekend

Another new era at Tottenham, De Cuyper can shine for Brighton and Aston Villa remind us this is a business.

Knowable Magazine

How a Mysterious Particle Could Explain the Universe’s Missing Antimatter

The Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter, which would have annihilated each other in a spectacular burst of pure energy. But it didn’t. New experiments focused on understanding the enigmatic neutrino may offer insights.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

NPR

Counting Steps for Health? Here’s How Many You Really Need

Counting steps is easy using a phone, a wearable or fitness tracker. And scientists have lots of data to figure out how many daily steps you need to improve health. Here’s what they’ve found.

USA TODAY

‘The Tooth Fairy Sticks to a Budget:’ Kids Are Finding Less Under Their Pillows for Lost Teeth

Times are tough, even for kids.

CBS News

AT&T Customers Could Get up to $7,500 in a $177 Million Settlement. Here’s How to File a Claim.

AT&T customers whose data was compromised in either of two data breaches, or both, are eligible to file a claim that could provide up to $7,500.

The Hustle

How Private Equity May Affect Your 401(k)

A new executive order allows employer retirement funds to be invested in private equity. Here’s what that could mean for your investments.

KFF Health News

AUDIO: A Wild Health Insurance Hustle

A couple in New York thought they bought insurance. Instead, they got fake “jobs.”

The Guardian

Ozempic Didn’t Work for Me. I Was Furious – and Ashamed

Everyone taking the ‘skinny shot’ was losing weight, but my scales didn’t change. My inner dialogue became toxic.

CNN

Mortgage Rates Fall to Lowest Level in 10 Months

Would-be home buyers and homeowners looking to refinance their mortgages got a rare break this week after months of stubbornly high borrowing costs.

The Marginalian

Wonder, Play, and How to Be More Alive

We build our lives around structures of certainty — houses to live in, marriages to love in, ideologies to think in — and yet some primal part of us knows that none abides, knows that we pay for these comforting illusions with our very aliveness.

GQ

Buying Stuff Online Is About to Get a Lot More Expensive. Here’s Why.

The answer has to do with tariffs, synthetic opioids, and something called the de minimis exemption.

The Cut

Are You Rude With Money?

Our readers share annoying financial scenarios to avoid when splitting the bill.

The Atlantic

The Logic of the ‘9 to 5’ Is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day

How free time gets conscripted into the service of work.

The Walrus

How to Trick Your Brain into Making Life Feel Longer and Richer

Forget anti-aging creams. The secret is living like you’re not in a hurry.