Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Atlantic

Why Do Cartoon Villains Speak in Foreign Accents?

Children’s shows often use non-standard dialects to voice the “bad guys,” sending a dangerous message to kids about diversity.

Good Housekeeping

This Dad’s Trick for Getting Picky Kids to Eat Is Brilliant

Let’s just say he “retired” a little early.

PC Gamer

15 Things I Deleted From My PC That You Can Probably Delete Too

Need to make space for a new game? Here’s where to look.

The Guardian

The Lost Girls: ‘Chaotic and Curious, Women With ADHD All Have Missed Red Flags That Haunt Us’

After multiple burnouts, in my early 30s I finally knew why life sometimes felt harder for me. It made perfect sense, so why had no one noticed before?

Greater Good Magazine

Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow

According to research, a good night’s sleep makes us more positive and resilient to stress.

Narratively

Diary of a Bachelor Who Suddenly Became a Solo Dad to a Teenage Girl

I was an 18-year-old father who couldn’t be there for his baby. I know, you’ve heard this one before. How about this part? Twelve years later Krystasia’s mom walked away and never came back.

Fast Company

Before You Accept That Job Offer, Do This to Negotiate Salary

According to a recent study, 41% of candidates negotiate every job offer. Here’s what you need to do to join their ranks.

BBC Future

Why Are Some People Compelled to Cheat at Games?

When it comes to unfair tactics, some of us are just better at bending the rules. But, the urge to cheat at games is easier to understand when you examine how they are designed.

The Guardian

I Tried to Stop Rage-Honking My Car Horn – but What Am I to Do With All This Anger?

My ‘achievable’ self-development goal of trying not to be angry was difficult. It’s what you do with that feeling that matters.

The Atlantic

Why Your Vet Bill Is So High

Corporations and private-equity funds have been rolling up smaller chains and previously independent practices.

Literary Hub

The Real Dracula Is a Detective Story

Forget what you think you know about the ur-vampire story. Bram Stoker’s masterpiece was a sprawling, radical detective novel.

Greater Good Magazine

11 Things to Do When You Feel Lonely

Many of us are feeling a bit lonelier these days. These tips may help—some involving other people, and some you can follow all by yourself.

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 8

Condé Nast Traveler

16 Golden Rules That Business Travelers Swear By

People who constantly hit the road for work share what they wish they’d known from the jump.

Saveur

That Chewy, Bouncy Texture You Love Has a Name

Whether in boba tea, cuttlefish, rice noodles, or cassava dough, the texture of QQ connects people across cultures and generations.

The New Yorker

The Internet Wants to Check Your I.D.

New safety rules require users to verify their identities before gaining access to sites. This spells the end of the relative anonymity that we’ve come to expect online.

The Toronto Star

What Michael Did

How does a family cope when one member — in the midst of a psychotic episode — kills another?

The Atlantic

The Tech Novel’s Warning for a Screen-Addled Age

Elaine Castillo’s second novel captures the numerous ways that screens help people hide from themselves.

The Associated Press

The World Nearly Beat Polio. But Fake Records, an Imperfect Vaccine and Missteps Aided Its Comeback.

The World Health Organization has closed in on its bold goal of eradicating polio several times, but the paralytic virus is entrenched in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

BBC

How ’Keep Calm and Carry On’ Became a Divisive 21st-Century Phenomenon

After a forgotten WW2 propaganda poster was discovered in 2000, it found an astounding new resonance in 21st-Century Britain – becoming an endlessly memeable template that is both cherished and mocked.

Food52

Our 10 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes of All Time

From crispy to chewy, we’ve collected the best of the best.

The Giving Pledge Was Meant to Turbocharge Philanthropy. Few Billionaires Got on Board.

Meanwhile, over the past 10 years, the number of billionaires worldwide has increased by more than half, to 2,891, according to UBS.

Parents

Monthly Curriculums Are Trending on TikTok — Are They Worth the Hype for Parents?

The monthly curriculum trend might be one of the most positive movements to come out of TikTok in quite some time. While many of these curriculum videos are harmless and even healing, others include strict expectations to finish several lengthy books or master a new hobby—all within 30 days.

The Conversation

Hulk Hogan and the Unraveling of Worker Solidarity

Pro wrestling’s failed unionization effort – and Hogan’s alleged role in undermining that campaign – is part of a broader story about the erosion of labor’s power since the 1980s.

Variety

Finn Wolfhard Is Free of ‘Stranger Things’: Why His Last Day on Set Was a ‘Mindf—’ and How He Predicted the Duffer Brothers’ Spinoff

‘Stranger Things’ star Finn Wolfhard is wrapping the show that changed his life.

HuffPost

This Is the Real Reason You Can’t Go Back on the Plane If You Left Something Behind

This airline rule is infuriating if you’re forgetful, but there’s a reason for it.

Business Insider

The Rise of Friend Socialism

Americans are drowning in subscriptions for services like Netflix, Disney, and Verizon. So, they’re saving money by joining family plans with friends.