Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Fast Company

4 Simple Steps for Negotiating a Higher Salary

Even after a tough economic year, you still have a right to negotiate, and be compensated fairly for your work.

Epicurious

How to Pipe, Stripe, and Dip Meringue Cookies Like a Pro

Meringue has a reputation for being finicky, but these tips and recipes will have you piping in style.

Mental Floss

An Empty Boat in the Grand Canyon: The Disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde

Bessie and Glen Hyde made history with their Grand Canyon boat trip in 1928, but not for the reasons they intended.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

The Four Buddhist Mantras for Turning Fear into Love

“When you love someone, the best thing you can offer that person is your presence.”

Architectural Digest

The 11 Most Beautiful Post Offices Around the World

From Algeria to Arizona, at these unique buildings you can drop off packages in architectural wonders.

The Atlantic

The Tyranny of Stuff

The letters of Seamus Heaney reveal that he was bedeviled by the same problem that overwhelms all of us.

BBC Future

The People Who Believe Plants Can Talk

While many gardeners believe talking to their plants encourages them to grow, there is a war of words in the scientific world about whether plants are listening, or even talking back.

Smithsonian Magazine

When Coal First Arrived, Americans Said ‘No Thanks’

Back in the 19th century, coal was the nation’s newfangled fuel source—and it faced the same resistance as wind and solar today.

Glamour

Cozy Cardio Could Actually Change Your Perspective on Exercise

A TikTok trend that actually makes sense? Groundbreaking!

MEL Magazine

A Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Out of a Conversation

Because telling someone to shut the heck up isn’t ‘gentlemanly’ or ‘civilized’ or ‘appropriate for a 5-year-old’s birthday party, Brian, Jesus.

MIT Press Reader

The Two-Century Quest to Quantify Our Senses

The quantification of bodies, senses, and experience can be traced back to mathematical and statistical techniques of the 19th century.

Apartment Therapy

How To Wash a Pillow by Hand or Washing Machine

And how often they should be washed.

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

Monday, July 21

Popular Science

Why Do Our Ears Pop on a Plane? An Audiologist Explains.

Tricks to fix it go beyond chewing gum.

New York Magazine

Inside the Media’s Traffic Apocalypse

The whole premise of internet publishing is starting to crumble.

Boston

Blood Feuds: The Fight Over Who Gets to Be Native American

A Rhode Island tribe’s quest for state recognition has sparked a controversy.

The New Atlantis

Does Marriage Have a Future?

From the Industrial Revolution to the pill to AI girlfriends, technology is unbundling what used to be marriage’s package deal.

Virginia Quarterly Review

Dark Ride to the Source

Holding on to Joy at Disneyland.

The Week

Why Your Body Ages Rapidly in Two ‘Bursts’

Scientists have found that ageing increases in our mid-40s and 60s.

Los Angeles Times

AI Can Write a Scene. It Can Pitch a Movie. So What Happens to the Screenwriters?

As generative AI reshapes Hollywood, screenwriters like Billy Ray, Paul Schrader, Bong Joon Ho and Todd Haynes, along with a new class of tech disruptors, are navigating the uncertain future of storytelling.

NPR

4 Confidence-Boosting Ways to Overcome the Fear of Flirting in Real Life

Does talking to a cute stranger make your palms sweat? Confidence coach Regina Bonds offers advice on to how to put yourself out there, including how to show interest without coming off as creepy.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

History Extra

On One of WW2’s Deadliest Air Routes, Pilots’ Biggest Fear Was Surviving a Crash – Here’s Why

Journalist Caroline Alexander uncovers the stories of those who flew ‘the Hump’ – a little-known Allied supply mission that sent young pilots into uncharted skies – and toward a jungle so terrifying, any other fate seemed preferable.

CNET

Americans Are Paying $78 Monthly for Internet on Average: Here’s What to Do If Your Bill Is Too High.

I compared over 150 plans from the top ISPs to find the country’s average broadband costs. Here’s what I found.

Esquire

Can Mouth Tape Actually Make You Sleep Better?

Follow one editor’s journey to sleep-maxxing.

The Associated Press

Scottie Scheffler Dominates in British Open Victory for His 2nd Major Title This Year

Scottie Scheffler is the champion golfer of the year and one step closer to the career Grand Slam.

Axios

State, Local Officials Seek to Ban ICE Agents’ Masks

Trump administration says masks are necessary for agents’ security during immigration raids.

Serious Eats

13 Stellar Summer Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

Because summer meals should be light, refreshing, and quick to make.

Parents

Dad Admits He’s Envious of Other Parents Who Are ‘Effortlessly Social’ at School Drop-Off

Even as parents, navigating social pressures with our individual personalities can be exhausting.

Business Insider

My Daughter Went on a Cell-Phone-Free Weekend Trip. It Was Surprisingly Harder on Me Than on Her.

I didn't expect to be so anxious when my daughter was cell-phone free. I realized how addicted I am to the phone and how I need to change my habits.

Time

What to Know About Birth Control If You Get Migraines

TIME spoke to doctors to unpack whether people who get migraines with aura can take certain types of birth control.

KFF Health News

Maybe It’s Not Just Aging. Maybe It’s Anemia.

Significant numbers of older people have the condition. Many find relief with an effective treatment that is being more widely prescribed.

The Verge

An Electric Scooter That Accelerates Faster Than a Tesla Model 3? No Thanks!

Too many insane claims to track!

The Walrus

Why I Decided to Return to the Refugee Camp I Came From

Fifty years after the Vietnam War, my family still lives in its aftermath.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

The Walrus

Before You Share That Health Tip, Read This

Misinformation is everywhere. And yes, some of it has probably gotten to you.

CNBC

What a Trump, Powell Faceoff Means for Your Money

Tensions are escalating between the White House and the Federal Reserve, with consumers caught in the middle.

CNBC

Student Loan Bills Could Double for Some Borrowers As Biden-Era Relief Expires

Many student loan borrowers could see their monthly bills more than double now that the Biden-era SAVE plan is defunct.

Stylist

Managers, Here’s How to Have an Effective 1-to-1, According to Career Experts

How to help your team members get the most from your meetings.

Fast Company

I’m a Two-Time Tech Founder. but Restaurants Are Where I Learned to Lead

The surprising lessons the conveyor belt sushi business taught me. Sudden equipment failures. Supply chain surprises. Retaining staff as the goalposts move in real time. These aren’t challenges I’ve faced as a tech founder—but I have faced them running restaurants.

The Week

How Can You Get the Maximum Social Security Retirement Benefit?

For many, Social Security benefits are a key part of their retirement plan. So it makes sense that you would want to get the most possible from this monthly source of income.

Yahoo

What Is ‘Revenge Saving,’ and Should You Hop on the Trend?

“Revenge saving” emphasizes making up for poor financial habits by being aggressively frugal or restrictive with your current spending.

Money.com

Why You Probably Need Flood Insurance — Even if You Don't Live Near Water

Over the Fourth of July weekend, parts of central Texas were devastated by flash floods after the region was hit with the equivalent of four months' worth of rain in just a few hours. At least 134 people were killed, and more than 100 are still missing as of press time.

GQ

What to Wear to a Job Interview, According to Hiring Experts

Make sure your suit fits, don’t dress too sexy, and other essential advice from professionals in law, tech, finance, and marketing.

Kiplinger

I Want to Buy an Annuity, but I’m Scared I’ll Get Ripped Off. Should I Get One Anyway?

An annuity is a way to achieve lifetime income in retirement, but you need to understand how this product works before making a purchase.

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.

Business Insider

The Hot New MBA Hustle

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