Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Fast Company

3 Simple Habits That Can Protect Your Brain From Cognitive Decline

These three habits help your body, and also have a positive impact on your brain.

Stylist

Get Reading: This Is How Books Can Impact Your Mental Health

We’ve long known that we can find comfort, solace and help in the pages of a book, and now research has confirmed that reading can be good for our mental health.

Greater Good Magazine

Is There a Better Way to Have an Argument?

Here are five principles for more constructive and respectful disagreements.

Knowable Magazine

The Puzzle of Play

The purpose of play — for children, monkeys, rats or meerkats — has proved surprisingly hard to pin down. Scientists continue to toss around ideas.

BBC Travel

The Unexpected Philosophy Icelanders Live By

If Iceland were to have a national slogan, it would be ‘þetta reddast’, which roughly translates to the idea that everything will work out all right in the end.

The Hustle

The Economics of Vending Machines

The pandemic has boosted interest in vending machine ownership. We surveyed 20+ operators to find out how much they make.

Atlas Obscura

The Crack Squad of Librarians Who Track Down Half-Forgotten Books

Reuniting stumped readers with the books from the edges of their memories.

Quartz

“Personal Kanban”: A Life-Changing Time-Management System That Explodes the Myth of Multitasking

How to visualize and organize your work.

Apartment Therapy

Rubbing Alcohol Mistakes to Avoid

Rubbing alcohol is great for cleaning, but here are 6 things you should never do.

Town & Country Magazine

The History of the Tennis Bracelet

How the iconic bracelet style got its name.

Truly*Adventurous

How America’s First Policewoman Took Down an Insidious L.A. Cult

Mocked and hampered at every turn, and paid 73 cents on the dollar, America’s first policewoman Alice Wells tracks a missing heiress to an insidious cult — and transforms policing.

CityLab

Why Did America Give Up on Mass Transit? (Don't Blame Cars.)

Streetcar, bus, and metro systems have been ignoring one lesson for 100 years: Service drives demand.

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

Tuesday, July 15

The Guardian

An AI-Generated Band Got 1M Plays on Spotify. Now Music Insiders Say Listeners Should Be Warned.

The Velvet Sundown released two albums before admitting their music, images and backstory were created by AI.

The Guardian

The Fascinating Science of Pain – and Why Everyone Feels It Differently

Do you scream when you stub your toe? Could you play a grand final with a shattered jaw, or work all day as your belly fills with blood? When it comes to suffering, perspective is everything.

The Narwhal

Emptying the Nest: Parenting Lessons From Bald Eagles

A photographer follows a pair of bald eagles in southern Ontario, returning to their nest every year to raise their young, and send them off

Nautilus

Is the Show Finally Over for These Whales and Dolphins?

They were bred to entertain in a now-shuttered marine park. Now they need to be rescued.

Vox

We Should Be in a Golden Age for Sleep

So why are we not sleeping?

CBS News

Cracking the Code: Using Genetic Genealogy to Unmask Serial Criminals

Barbara Rae-Venter never anticipated that her genealogy hobby would lead to the capture of one of California’s most notorious criminals, the Golden State Killer.

The Hollywood Reporter

Sharks, ‘Sweethearts’ and Subs: 19 Docs and Real-Life Series to Watch This Summer

Whether you’re seeking true-crime tales, celebrity-focused fare or a closer look at the world around you, there’s something new for various tastes.

Harper's Magazine

The Geological Sublime

Butterflies, deep time, and climate change.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Kiplinger

Financial Pros Provide a Beginner’s Guide to Building Wealth in 10 Years

Building wealth over 10 years requires understanding your current financial situation, budgeting effectively, eliminating high-interest debt and increasing both your income and financial literacy.

Harvard Business Review

The AI Revolution Won’t Happen Overnight

If you believe the frenzied hype, AI is about to tie our shoes, run our businesses, and solve world hunger. It’s a seductive vision. It’s also a hallucination.

Grist

Chicago Was Supposed to Warn Residents About Toxic Lead Pipes Last Year. Most Still Have No Idea.

Eight months past a federal deadline, more than 90 percent of at-risk Chicagoans haven’t been told their drinking water could be unsafe.

NBC News

Bipartisan Support Picks up for a Natural Disaster Review Board

The goal is to identify the underlying causes of the damage caused by disasters without assigning blame.

ESPN

Ravens Teammates, Mother Keeping Jacoby Jones’ Memory Alive

A year after Jones’ death, former Ravens teammates Torrey Smith, Bryan Hall and Ray Rice are among those helping Emily London-Jones carry on Jones’ mission.

Discover

More Than a Muscle Booster, Creatine Could Help Energize the Elderly

Learn more about creatine, a popular work out supplement that could also benefit energy levels in the elderly. However, there are some side effects.

Bon Appétit

This Two-Ingredient Korean Tomato Syrup Is My New Summer Obsession

Thanks to TikTok, I fell down a cheong rabbit hole. You should join me.

Martha Stewart

13 Fragrant Flowers to Grow in Pots and Containers for a Beautifully Scented Patio

Transform your patio, porch, or garden into a soothing retreat by growing these fragrant plants in pots and containers.

Elle

Can One Haircut Really Work for Curls and Blowouts? I Went to Ouidad to Find Out.

I wanted shape, dimension, and something that wouldn’t look choppy once straightened.

Thrillist

The Best Airbnb Alternatives for Budget Travelers

If you’re ready to try an alternative to Airbnb, you don’t need to book a hotel. Platforms like Kommu, Kindred, and Home Exchange can help you find great places to stay.

Psychology Today

The Rise of the Rage Scroll

Why negativity spreads so easily online and how to break the cycle.

Martha Stewart

6 Natural Ways to Remove Grass From Flower Beds—Without Damaging Your Plants

Grass can harm your flowers if left unchecked in a flower bed, so it’s a good idea to remove it.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Business Insider

The Hot New MBA Hustle

Millennials’ hottest new career pivot: ditching the corporate grind to run unsexy small businesses.

NPR

‘Panicking’: Why Recent College Grads Are Struggling to Find Jobs

Recent college graduates are facing one of the most challenging job markets in years — with the exception of the pandemic period — even as the overall unemployment rate remains low.

The Walrus

Why Everyone You Know Is Suddenly a Birder

A pandemic pastime has grown into something deeper.

CNBC

These College Majors Have the Best Job Prospects — and They Aren’t What Students Expect

Which college major students choose often has significant implications for job prospects and future career potential.

The New York Times

You Saved and Saved for Retirement. Now You Need a Plan to Cash Out.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are more worried about running out of money in retirement than dying, and many retirees could be on track to turn that fear into a stark reality.

Fast Company

Why Do We Trust Certain People (Even When We Shouldn’t)?

The science of who is (and isn’t) trustworthy. Why are some people perceived as more trustworthy than others?

Harvard Business Review

Leading Is Emotionally Draining. Here’s How to Recover.

Emotional depletion is a real and significant tax of modern leadership. Recovery is no longer a luxury.

Substack

The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters

Young Americans today spend 70 percent less time attending or hosting parties than they did at the beginning of the 21st century. Why?

Psyche

What to Do When Someone Goes on the Defensive

Our natural impulses often make matters worse. Here’s an approach that works, grounded in conflict resolution and psychology.

Vox

For Years, Women Complained That This Medical Procedure Was Painful. Doctors Are Finally Listening.

How a common birth control method became the center of a reckoning.

USA TODAY

Increase Your Social Security Income in Retirement With Three Powerful Moves

There's a reason people are commonly advised not to retire on Social Security alone. The average monthly benefit won't go very far in helping seniors cover their costs.

NBC News

Job Scams Are on the Rise and More People Are Falling for Them

As job-seekers look for work in a challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to job scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks, according to the Federal Trade Commission.