Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Greater Good Magazine

Four Ways to Stop Imagining the Worst Will Happen

If you have a tendency to worry about worst-case scenarios, it’s possible to get your brain on a different track.

Stylist

“Why Is My Hair Changing Texture and When Should I See a Professional?”

A consultant trichologist explains how ageing and genetics, as well as chemical and heat damage, can impact hair.

Narratively

Meet the Kim Kardashian of the 1890s

How an unexceptional vaudeville performer turned a lurid tabloid scandal into national fame and a lucrative personal brand.

Elle

Is Screen Time Really the Worst Thing For Kids?

Recommendations from a Danish media expert: Funny shows are good, and crap shows are bad (except when they’re good).

Slate

The Most Important Album of 1968 Wasn’t The White Album. It Was Beggars Banquet.

It saved the Rolling Stones and altered the trajectory of music history.

Harvard Business Review

How Being a Workaholic Differs from Working Long Hours

Research suggests long hours alone don’t create the psychological bind that ties workaholics to their job.

Delish

How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Put the jar back on the shelf.

Darius Foroux

If There’s No Light At The End Of The Tunnel: QUIT

When the path you’re on can’t take you where you want to be, find another.

Brad Stulberg

How to Create Space Between Stimulus and Response

You’ve got to feel what is going on, and then you’ve got to label it.

Popular Mechanics

A New Cat Color Is Defying Genetic Expectations

From roots to tips, this fur tells a tale of evolutionary wonder.

Epicurious

How to Store Cucumbers So They Stay Extra Crunchy

Tired of finding sad, soggy cucumbers in the fridge? Here’s everything you need to know about keeping those cukes fresh for as long as possible.

BBC Future

The ‘Untranslatable’ Emotions You Never Knew You Had

From gigil to wabi-sabi and tarab, there are many foreign emotion words with no English equivalent. Learning to identify and cultivate these experiences could give you a richer and more successful life.

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 9

Scientific American

The Benefits of Raising Conscientious Kids

Being conscientious will serve kids in the long run. Here are some tips to help them learn that trait.

The Guardian

You Love the Outdoors. So Why Are You Pooping All Over It?

Millions of Americans a year visit national parks and many leave their business anywhere. Contrary to popular belief, that deluge of poop is not going to decompose.

The Atlantic

I Fought Plastic. Plastic Won

My futile quest to avoid the material that my entire world is made out of.

Vox

Why Were the Central Texas Floods So Deadly?

How missed flood warnings and infrastructure gaps cost so many lives in central Texas.

Rest of World

Out of Space: Picturing the Big, Crowded Business of Satellite Internet

The idea of a space-based internet is almost as old as the internet itself. In 1993, the Hughes Aircraft Company filed for a license with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to develop Spaceway, a high-speed global satellite internet service — the first of its kind.

Atavist

Conversations with a Hit Man

A former FBI agent traveled to Louisiana to ask a hired killer about a murder that haunted him. Then they started talking about a different case altogether.

Vogue

Why I Finally Fell Out Of Love With Attachment Theory

There was a time, in my mid-twenties, when I became completely obsessed with why I was the way I was. I’d just been through a major break-up, and what followed was a period of intense and intentional soul-searching.

Columbia Journalism Review

Grains of Salt

A memoir of restoration became a bestseller and a movie. Its truth is now in doubt.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Variety

The Best Horror Movies of 2025 So Far, Ranked

Many great horror movies have already been released this year, including ‘Final Destination Bloodlines,’ ‘Companion’ and more.

Business Insider

The Highest-Paid Tennis Players in the World, Ranked

Carlos Alcaraz topped the list of highest-paid tennis players in 2024, earning $42.3 million between prize money and endorsements.

Esquire

What It Feels Like to Live Without a Smartphone

Sick of algorithmic rabbit holes and compulsively checking emails, I switched to a flip phone for two months. It wasn’t as easy as I thought.

Computerworld

Most Managers Now Rely on AI for Hiring and Firing, Study Finds

A Resume Builder survey found 60% of US managers use AI for key staff decisions, often with little oversight or training.

Nature

Stress Is Wrecking Your Health: How Can Science Help?

Better stress assessment and tailored interventions could give clinicians the tools they need to fend off lasting damage.

Discover

Neanderthals May Have Ran Their Own Fat Factories 125,000 Years Ago

Discover how ancient humans scaled up their food production to survive in harsh environments.

Kiplinger

Average 401(K) Match: Do You Work for a Generous Company?

Here is the average 401(k) match and the top 20 companies as measured by their match policies. A generous 401(k) match provides a more secure retirement.

NBC News

Want Better Workout Results? Match Your Exercise to Your Personality, Study Suggests

It’s expected that introverts would gravitate toward solo workouts and extroverts would shine in group fitness classes, but there were some surprises.

Fast Company

This Planet Is Drawing Huge Flares From Its Young Star

The plight of HIP 67522 b illustrates the many circumstances under which exoplanets exist.

Gizmodo

The End of the Stock Market As We Know It

Startups and Wall Street giants alike are racing to turn stocks, bonds, and real estate into crypto-like tokens. We asked an expert to break down what that means for your money.

MIT Technology Review

Inside the Most Dangerous Asteroid Hunt Ever

As space rock 2024 YR4 became more likely to hit Earth than anything of its size had ever been before, scientists all over the world mobilized to protect the planet.

Polygon

The Rainbow Road Master Is Back With a New Record in Mario Kart World

A Twitch streamer known for his speed on the colorful track over the years shows why fans call him the Rainbow Road master.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNBC

‘Revenge Savings’ Can Boost Your Bottom Line, Experts Say — Here’s How to Get Started

Saving more money is a perennial resolution, but emotions shouldn't drive that habit, financial experts say. Instead, be intentional. Here's how to get started.

Gizmodo

This Cough Syrup Ingredient Might Actually Slow Dementia

Several larger trials of ambroxol for Parkinson's are already underway.

The Washington Post

I’m a Gastroenterologist. Here’s Why I Tell My Patients to Eat This One Fruit.

Kiwis can boost your gut health. They may also lower triglycerides and cancer risk.

Harvard Business Review

When It’s Time to Leave a Career You’re Passionate About

People worry that others will see them as immoral and incompetent for quitting their passion. These fears are often misplaced.

CNBC

Recruiter: I’ve Placed Over 1,000 People Into Jobs–Here’s the No. 1 ‘Closing Technique’ to Nail Your Interview

In this environment where it’s difficult to get your foot in the door, one mistake that some recent graduates make is assuming that their degree will automatically get them a job.

NPR

4 Things to Know About the Vaccine Ingredient Thimerosal

The federal government could soon recommend that people only receive flu shots made without an ingredient called thimerosal.

The New York Times

How Many Dates Should You Go on Before You Start Talking About Money?

Couples tend to dance around discussing how much they earn or owe early in a relationship. But experts agree that talking about money sooner is better than later.

HuffPost

I Paid Off a School’s Lunch Debt. Then Strangers on the Internet Did Something Truly Stunning.

This is proof that strangers can decide, together, to make things better.

Fast Company

How to Trick Your Nervous System Into Calming Down When You’re Stressed at Work

Understanding how your body works can be the key to reducing stress. For example, you’re probably aware of your fight-or-flight response—the body’s way of preparing itself when it believes it’s being threatened.

NPR

‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Purchases Can Now Affect Your Credit Score. Here’s What That Means

Services that split up payments into installments are increasingly popular, especially among young and low-to-middle income shoppers. But now the FICO credit scoring company will be tracking that debt.

The Guardian

Natural Fibers and No Heathered Grey: What to Wear When It’s Really, Really Hot Out

The biggest concerns are a) maximizing comfort and b) masking sweat so one doesn’t look like a sentient pile of wet laundry.

DW

Paris Reopens Seine River for Public Swimming

Parisians have begun bathing in the Seine for the first time in over 100 years after a ban was lifted. The French capital has created three swimming zones along the river as part of its Olympic legacy.