Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Scientific American

Why Social Media Makes People Unhappy—And Simple Ways to Fix It

Research suggests platform designs make us lose track of time spent on them and can heighten conflicts, and then we feel upset with ourselves.

BBC Worklife

The ‘Hidden Talent’ That Determines Success

In our era of globalization, your job performance may depend on your “CQ”. So what is it?

Homes & Gardens

How to Clean a Microwave – Easy Ways to Get It Spotless With Vinegar, Lemon and More

Discover the experts’ advice on how to clean a microwave and rid it of debris, splashes, and lingering odors.

Greater Good Magazine

How Much of Your Happiness Is Under Your Control?

The researchers behind the original “happiness pie chart” share what they’ve learned in the past 15 years.

The Conversation

A Hot Bath Has Benefits Similar to Exercise

A hot bath burns calories, helps control blood sugar and keeps your blood vessels healthy. What’s not to like?

MIT Press Reader

Scientists Are Finally Taking Altered States of Consciousness Seriously

If we want to understand our consciousness, we must not be afraid to break new ground.

WIRED

How to Actually Find Good Recipes Online

So many food blogs and recipe sites are full of pretty pictures but untested recipes. Don’t worry, it’s possible to find something you’ll love to cook and eat.

SELF

5 Questions to Ask Yourself If You Think It’s Time to Dump a Friend

Does your friendship have to end or can it change instead?

Smithsonian Magazine

The Enduring Myths of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’

Archaeologists look back at what the first Indiana Jones movie got wrong about their profession.

Glamour

15 Genius Tips That’ll Give You Clearer Skin for Free

Get glowing skin without spending a single cent.

Stylist

What’s Better for You: A Long, Slow Walk or a Fast, Short One?

Boost the benefits of your daily walk by keeping an eye on your pace and distance.

Mental Floss

24 Fascinating Facts About the Solar System

Here are 24 out-of-this-world facts about the corner of space that’s home to Earth.

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

Thursday, July 31

Punch

Are Kava and Kratom Drinks Addictive?

In detox centers and online support communities, it’s called “the little blue devil.” But its real name is less insidious: “Feel Free” is a drink sold in tiny blue bottles in gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops to people 21 years or older.

The San Francisco Standard

‘Jerry Is Rolling in His Grave’: The Deadheads Boycotting Anniversary Shows 

Some Deadheads are sidestepping San Francisco entirely ahead of the anniversary shows. “There’s no more Grateful Dead family — this is a business, through and through,” one said.

The Walrus

Millennials Are Becoming Caregivers Whether They’re Ready or Not

Still under 40, many are responsible for aging parents while raising kids and managing debt.

PBS

In the Gray World of GLP-1 Supplements Online, Health Experts Urge Caution

TikTok beauty influencer Kaycee Ogle is regularly contacted by brands who want her to promote their products. But one email she received in June was different, and made her curious.

Rolling Stone

How a ‘King of the Hill’ Revival Brings Hank, Bobby, and Dale Into an America Gone Mad

‘King of the Hill’ showrunner talks about the Hulu revival and updating the characters and stories for today’s culture of political extremes.

Mother Jones

The Surgery That Reveals Everything That’s Wrong With Women’s Health Care

From "wandering wombs" to modern biases, the troubling politics of hysterectomies

The Hustle

The Only State Without a Walgreens Pharmacy

Many independent pharmacies are in turmoil throughout the US. But a unique law has made North Dakota a haven for mom-and-pop operators.

ProPublica

Now That They’re Free

Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration say they endured months of physical and mental abuse inside a Salvadoran prison. Though happy to be home, they say the fact that they were released is proof of how senseless their detentions were.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

CNET

Whole Milk Is Popular Again, but Is It Right for You? We Asked Dietitians

Dietitians share why whole milk is making a comeback and if it belongs in your fridge.

Gizmodo

Scientists Unveil the Shocking Truth Behind Lightning’s Mysterious Birth

A full understanding of how lightning forms in the clouds has eluded scientists, but new research promises to solve this enduring mystery.

Big Think

John Amaechi Shares the 6 Books That Changed His Thinking

The psychologist and former NBA player discusses the professional volumes and childhood stories that shaped his life and his approach to it.

Homes & Gardens

These Will ‘Create an Immediate Sense of Calm’ – 5 Low-Lift Tasks to Help You Relax When Your House Is a Mess

We have all been there – we sink into the sofa at the end of a long day, desperate to turn off, only for piles of clutter and dusty surfaces to pull at the edges of our mind. So, how do you relax when your house is a mess?

Parents

New Study Says Kids Under 13 Shouldn’t Have Smartphones—but What If They Already Do?

An extensive study looks at the risks of smartphone use for kids under age 13, and those risks are very real.

The Marginalian

The Paradox of Knowing Who You Are and What You Want: Cristina Campo on Fairy Tales, Time, and the Meaning of Maturity

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales,” Einstein reportedly told one mother who wished for her son to become a scientist. “If you want them to be ver…

Smithsonian Magazine

New Zealand’s Massive Green Parrots Have Narrowly Avoided Extinction. But Many of Their Parasites Did Not Survive

A study examining fossilized droppings reveals the kākāpō has faced a decline in the diversity of its parasites—and that might not be a good thing

Vogue

The 24 Best Book Club Books for Your Next Group Read

There is really no singular characteristic shared by the best book-club books—but look to these reaction-provoking books for your next group read.

Esquire

What It Feels Like to Survive Tongue Cancer

My wife and I tried to keep our small business afloat as I endured treatment—and lost my sense of taste.

NBC News

As NBA Teams Chase Youth in the Quest for a Title, This Team Is Trying the Opposite Approach

The Los Angeles Clippers have assembled perhaps the oldest roster in NBA history. Will that experience be a strength or a liability?

Axios

Trump’s “Devil in the Details” Trade Deals Sow Confusion

These are not traditional, word-heavy trade deals with text agreed to by all negotiators.

Smithsonian Magazine

Seventy Years Ago, Johnny Cash Recorded ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and Became a Folk Hero for the Ignored and Downtrodden

A man of the people, the artist put his money where his mouth was by visiting prisons around the country and performing the song

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNN

‘Ozempic Face’ May Be Driving a Cosmetic Surgery Boom

“You can only refill a deflated balloon so much, and often surgical intervention is necessary.”

Maclean’s

Confessions of the Working Poor

I work hard, buy quality clothes and know how to fake my way through dinner-party conversations. But behind the scenes, I’m part of a fast-growing Canadian underclass.

CNBC

While the Fed Kept Its Benchmark Unchanged, Here’s What Happened to Consumer Borrowing Rates

When it meets this week, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key short-term interest rate at its current target range — where it has stayed for all of 2025.

CNBC

Back-to-School Shopping Is More Expensive This Year — Here’s the Breakdown

This year, parents will pay more for back-to-school essentials such as pens, pencils and backpacks.

The New York Times

Study May Undercut Idea That Cash Payments to Poor Families Help Child Development

Rigorous new research appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being, adding a new element to a dispute over expanded government aid.

The Guardian

Trust Your Gut and Fail Bravely: Seven Influential Women on the Advice They Would Give Their 30-Year-Old Selves

It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. But, as Diana Nyad says: ‘We earn our wisdom.’

USA TODAY

Trump’s Trade Deal With the EU: What It Means for Your Wallet

The new tariff could increase prices on goods such as cars, furniture and pharmaceuticals. Trump's tariffs are expected to raise prices by 1.8% in the short term, per the Yale Budget Lab.

NPR

In a First, the Senate Confirms a New CDC Director

Susan Monarez is the first director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require Senate confirmation. She’s also the first director without a medical degree in more than 70 years.

NPR

The Manhattan Gunman Believed He Had CTE. What Does That Mean?

The gunman accused of killing four people in New York City suspected he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative brain disease often associated with football players.

The Associated Press

If You Don’t Have Diabetes, Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.

The Cut

What If a Child Was Terrified of Food?

The rise of ARFID, a new eating disorder driven not by body image but by fear.

CNBC

Animal Shelters Are Crowded as High Costs Squeeze Pet Owners

Millions of animals are stuck in increasingly cramped shelters because their owners are struggling to pay rising vet bills and other expenses.