Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

MEL Magazine

The Pressure to ‘Act Like a Man’ Starts in Preschool

Boys as young as three are more than happy to police the toy box and make sure that no little dude walks away with a Barbie.

Atlas Obscura

The Brief, Baffling Life of an Accidental New York Neighborhood

Welcome to Haberman, Queens: Population 0.

Stylist

How to Identify the 4 Subtle Steps a Narcissist Takes Before Invading Your Life

How to recognize even the most subtle and covert phases of narcissistic control, according to a psychologist.

Knowable Magazine

How the Placebo Effect Went Mainstream

Back when it was published in 1955, Henry Beecher’s paper paved the way for sounder drug trials and pushed scientists to better understand how we process pain.

The Atlantic

26 Brilliant Movies That Critics Were Wrong About

A group of films, ranging from art-house gems to big blockbusters, that deserve a fresh look.

The Guardian

How to Spot a Liar: 10 Essential Tells – From Random Laughter to Copycat Gestures

An ex-FBI agent, a psychologist and a fraud investigator share their best tips for detecting dishonesty.

Scientific American

Extreme Birding Competition Is a Cutthroat Test of Skill, Strategy and Endurance

A team of birders races to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours.

The Conversation

There Are 2 Main Ways to Stretch: How to Choose the Way Right for You

There are many different types of stretching, but the two most common are static and dynamic stretching.

GQ

The True Story of the ‘Ferrari’ Crash That Changed Racing Forever

‘Ferrari’ recreated a bygone—and often deadly—age of motorsports.

BBC Future

Why Some People Can Deal With The Cold

A gene mutation that allowed our ancestors to venture north might also give some of us a competitive sporting advantage.

Quanta Magazine

Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room

A visual prank exposes an Achilles’ heel of computer vision systems: Unlike humans, they can’t do a double take.

Fast Company

Want to Cut Your Work Hours in Half? Create an A/B Schedule

"You can get more done with more power to spare."

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 28

Vanity Fair

How Goop Culture Helped Create MAHA

The California-based gynecologist and Gwyneth biography source, Dr. Jen Gunter, on everything from how she views Gwyneth Paltrow’s legacy to the most difficult aspects of fighting pseudoscience claims.

The Guardian

The Rise and Fall of the British Cult That Hid in Plain Sight

Philippa Barnes was a child when her family joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an adult, she helped expose the shocking scale of abuse it had perpetrated.

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

NPR

The Best Games of 2025 So Far, Picked by NPR’s Staff

From indies like ’Blue Prince’ to big console exclusives like ’Donkey Kong Bananza’, NPR staff and contributors round up their favorite games of the year so far.

The New Yorker

Mary Had Schizophrenia—Then Suddenly She Didn’t

Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?

The Guardian

Why Are Thailand and Cambodia Engaged in a Border Conflict?

Territory mapped during France’s colonial rule is behind clash that has exposed tensions between the countries.

Vox

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

And why it’s not getting cheaper any time soon.

Business Insider

Return Fraud Is Running Rampant

Whether it’s sending back broken items or claiming a package never arrived, Americans are committing return fraud at Amazon and other retailers.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Axios

Democrats’ 2028 Presidential Race Is Going Fast and Furious

The 2028 Democratic primaries have quietly begun — even though no one has said they’re actually running.

NBC News

As Texas Plows Ahead With New Maps, Governors Grapple With the Prospect of Mid-Decade Redistricting

Some Democrats are urging governors in other states to counter Texas Republicans with their own redistricting efforts, despite major obstacles.

Atlas Obscura

These Monuments Showcase the Beauty of Brutalism

Places editors Diana Hubbell and Roxanne Hoorn take a closer look at Brutalist structures and find the emotion hidden underneath.

The Hollywood Reporter

Breaking Down the Biomechanics of Happy Gilmore’s Swing With Long-Drive Champion Martin Borgmeier

One of them can really hit the golf ball 400 yards.

Los Angeles Times

Serious Liver Disease Is up Among Heavy Drinkers, Even Without More Drinking

A new study by Keck Medicine School of USC finds the incidence of alcohol-related liver disease has more than doubled, especially among women, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions.

The Conversation

Mysterious Fossil May Rewrite Story of Skin and Feather Evolution in Reptiles

The fossil creature has outgrowths on its back that are neither hair nor feathers.

The New York Times

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Breaks a Box Office Curse

The movie, the fifth effort to adapt the comic characters for the big screen, was expected to collect about $220 million worldwide in its first weekend.

CBS News

New Exhibit Explores the Impact and Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist

In the late 1940s, the work of the House Un-American Activities Committee eventually led to a Hollywood blacklist, now the focus of an exhibit at the New York Historical Society.

Axios

Trump Team Rethinks Gaza Strategy After Six Months of Failure

“We need to do some serious rethinking,” a visibly frustrated Marco Rubio told a group of hostage families on Friday.

The New Yorker

“South Park” Skewers a Satire-Proof President

The new season première goes after Trump as never before—and solves a problem that’s plagued comedians since his first term in office.

Time

When the Group Chat Replaces the Group

WhatsApp chats can feel alive. But they have their flaws, writes Rohan Banerjee.

Time

How to Tell a Friend You Don’t Like Their Partner

When your friend is in love—and you’re writhing in horror at the object of their affection—the first question to ask yourself isn’t how to raise the subject. It’s whether you should.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Parents

A Parent Let Their Son Choose What to Do With Money They Found–Here’s What He Decided

Doing real-time experiments like this in the wild can teach us a lot about our kids and ourselves as parents.

NPR

Dear Life Kit: My Friend Says Ugly Things About Her Body and It Makes Me Anxious

Body-acceptance advocate Katie Sturino and Ronald Young Jr., host of the podcast Weight for It, answer listener questions about body image, weight loss drugs and bullying.

Harvard Business Review

The Right Way to Prepare for a High-Stakes Conversation

Before commercial pilots push back from the gate, they complete a comprehensive preflight check to verify that every system functions correctly during the journey ahead.

The Atlantic

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards

Their fees are getting higher—and their benefits are sometimes wildly complicated to redeem.

Kiplinger

Are You an Auto Theft Target? Discover the Clues

Thieves seized over 850,000 cars last year. See which models, states and behaviors draw the eyes of opportunists.

NPR

Home Sales Are Down. So Why Are Prices at an All-Time High?

Those with equity in a home can trade up more easily, while many first-time homebuyers are still stuck on the sidelines.

Fast Company

How to Go From Quiet to Commanding

An executive coach offers introverts five tips for sounding more confident. You’re smart, capable, and consistently deliver results. But in meetings, your voice disappears.

The Guardian

‘Old People Are Capable of More’: Meet the Female Weightlifters in Their 70s and 80s

Forget the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying groceries – fitness mavens like Joan MacDonald show you can strength train at any age.

USA TODAY

Young People Always Worry About Social Security. Older People Are Joining Them.

Americans are worrying more about Social Security, and the Trump administration may be partly to blame.  In an AARP survey released July 22, only 36% of Americans voiced confidence in the future of the retirement trust fund, down from 43% in 2020.

Time

What to Say to Someone With Cancer 

Some well-meaning phrases don’t always go over well.

NPR

Doctors Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Hormone Therapy for Menopause

The FDA may remove the warning labels on hormone replacement therapies used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Doctors say the warning is scaring people who could benefit from these treatments.

The Week

How Will the New Tax Deductions on Auto Loans Work?

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited.