Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Inc.

How to Train Your Brain to Get What You Want in 60 Days

You are the designer of your destiny.

Women’s Health

What Is Emotional Sobriety? Here’s How To Practice This Self-Growth Tool

Feelings are always knocking, but you get to decide whether you let them in or not. Learn how shutting the door on some can guide you to a calmer state of being.

Domino

8 Cool Moms on How They Minimize Screen Time—And the Kids Don’t Even Know It

From snow faces to jumbo books.

The Guardian

Night Owls’ Cognitive Function ‘Superior’ to Early Risers, Study Suggests

Research on 26,000 people found those who stay up late scored better on intelligence, reasoning and memory tests.

Harvard Business Review

How to Disagree with Someone More Powerful than You

Conflicting with your superiors may not be a daily occurrence, but there are times when it’s necessary. Here’s some tips on how to go about it.

Mental Floss

The Origins of 25 Monsters, Ghosts, and Spooky Things

From myths to literature to giant squid, here’s how some of our favorite eerie creatures and legends got their start.

Good Housekeeping

Karen Oelschlaeger Desperately Wanted to Live Her Life. She Also Wanted to Have a Say in When It Ended.

“I’m grateful that when I decide enough is enough, I don’t need to suffer anymore.”

Men’s Health

The Great Millennial Strength Crisis

Many guys in their 20s and 30s are historically weak, which could have a disastrous impact on health and life spans. But it’s not too late to change.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Figuring Forward in an Uncertain Universe

Consolations from the cosmic scheme.

BBC Worklife

Why Self-Compassion – Not Self-Esteem – Leads to Success

Talking about being kind to yourself may sound like something from a nursery classroom. But even cynics should care about self-compassion – especially if they want to be resilient.

Stylist

Want to Overcome Imposter Syndrome? Here’s Why You Need to Try the PETAL Method

Entrepreneur coach Amanda Brenkley talks us through her five-step PETAL method designed to help us all get past imposter syndrome for good.

The Washington Post

How Do We Get Our 4-Year-Old To Stop Negotiating and Respect Our Rules?

She’s only 4, but she’s already trying to negotiate the rules and her punishments with her parents.

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, June 9

The New Yorker

Amelia Earhart’s Reckless Final Flights

The aviator’s publicity-mad husband, George Palmer Putnam, kept pushing her to risk her life for the sake of fame.

SELF

I’m a Neurologist. Here’s the One Thing I Do Every Day for My Long-Term Brain Health

If you’re worried about cognitive decline, add this to your routine.

NBC News

Planned Parenthood Provides Basic Health Care. If They Close, Where Will Many Women Go?

Citing deep funding cuts, at least 200 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide are at risk.

The Associated Press

What I Learned About Getting a Hearing Aid

It might start when you realize you can’t hear the doorbell, or certain ringtones. Conversation sounds garbled.

The Dial

Brazil’s Trafficked Babies

Why is it so easy to take an infant out of the country?

Atmos

The Science And Symbolism of a Whale Fall

When a whale dies, its body creates a new mini ecosystem on the ocean floor—a process full of biological and poetic lessons.

Allure

How to Lucid Dream (and Enjoy It), According to Experts

Contrary to what TikTok says, it doesn't have to be scary.

Vogue

Dance Aerobics Is So Deeply Uncool…and That’s Why I Love It

My instructor at L.A.’s Pony Sweat, a “fiercely noncompetitive dance aerobics practice,” told us to “fuck the moves” and with that exhortation came freedom.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Architectural Digest

How a Financial Influencer Upgraded Her Brooklyn Apartment on a Budget

Haley Sacks, the creator behind @mrsdowjones, teamed up with Emily Miller to creatively customize her rental.

Axios

The “Look Under the Hood” Jobs Report

Immigration cuts are one possible explanation for last month’s labor force shrinkage.

NBC News

These Latino Restaurateurs in Unlikely Places Are Nominated for a Prestigious Culinary Prize

In Wyoming, Alabama and Idaho, these Latinos’ distinctive culinary and beverage styles and establishments have earned them prestigious 2025 James Beard nominations.

ProPublica

How the Head of an Embattled Tennessee Youth Detention Center Held on to Power for Decades

Richard L. Bean remained in his perch as the superintendent of the juvenile detention center that bears his name despite scandals, investigations and the use of seclusion to punish children.

Smithsonian Magazine

Researchers Discover That Living Worm Towers Exist in Nature, Not Just in Horror Movies

A new study reveals that nematodes assemble into coordinated structures to catch a ride on passersby.

CBS News

WWII Pilot Accounted for 82 Years After Being Credited With Saving Airman’s Life in Deadly Crash

Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook, 23, of Georgetown, Texas, was credited with saving a fellow soldier before his death.

Literary Hub

States’ Rights to Racism: The Existential Fight to Enshrine Civil Rights in the Constitution

The Thirteenth Amendment reads briskly. Split into two sections, the first states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have be…

Kiplinger

A Financial Expert’s Tips for Lending Money to Family and Friends

What starts as a lifeline can turn into a minefield if the borrower ghosts the lender. Following these three steps can help you avoid family feuds over funds.

ESPN

The Incredible Never-Before-Told Story of the Home Run Ball That Turned Derek Jeter Into ‘Mr. November’

Fistfuls of flying dollars, an alert vendor and a Jeter signature. Here's the tale of one of MLB's most famous artifacts.

CNBC

When It Comes to Saving, Gen Z Asks: ‘What’s the Point?’ That’s Dangerous, Expert Says

Young adults are feeling disillusioned about their economic prospects. That malaise can be dangerous, experts said.

CNET

Hate Heat but Love Cooking? This Is the Ultimate Kitchen Appliance for Hot Weather

No, it’s not a grill.

Polygon

Every Big Announcement From Xbox Games Showcase 2025

Microsoft brought a big, diverse lineup of games to the continuing summer games fest.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Vox

First Comes Marriage. Then Comes a Flirtatious Colleague.

What to do when your partner wants an open marriage and you don’t.

Time

The Worst Thing to Say to Someone Who’s Depressed

Researchers still don’t understand what, exactly, causes depression. But what is clear is this: It doesn’t have anything to do with waking up and simply choosing not to appreciate all the good things in life.

SELF

6 Daily Habits Doctors Say Will Help You Live Longer

From small diet tweaks to a simple strategy for fitting in more movement.

NPR

Divorce Lawyers Say It’s a Seasonal Business. Here’s Why.

Divorce lawyers know certain times of the year are much busier than others.

Time

10 Things to Say When Someone Won’t Get Off Their Phone

Trying to talk to someone stuck on their phone is such a universal experience, there’s a name for it: “phubbing,” short for “phone snubbing,” or ignoring someone in favor of a phone.

Stylist

The dos and don’ts of OOO etiquette, so you don’t ruin your (or anyone else’s) holiday

Summer holiday season is upon us. These are your out-of-office dos and don’ts.

CNBC

With an ‘Above Normal’ Hurricane Season Forecast, Check These 3 Things in Your Home Insurance Policy

Hurricane season began on June 1. Now is the time to take a look at your homeowners insurance policy and make sure you're well covered.

HuffPost

Hand Sanitizer Isn’t As Effective at Killing Germs As You Think — Here’s What You Need to Know

Plenty of different types of viruses and bacteria are resistant to alcohol-based sanitizers. And they can make you very sick.

Well+Good

Not Only Do You Deserve a Little Treat—There Are Benefits, Too

Enjoying little sweet treats has gone viral on social media, but are there any physical and emotional benefits to treating yourself? Expert dietitians and mental health professionals weigh in here.

Harvard Business Review

Why Employees Work While Sick—and How Leaders Can Stop It

New research suggests that presenteeism isn’t simply a matter of personal choice or lack of sick leave—it’s a structural problem rooted in how jobs are designed and workplace expectations are managed.

NPR

A Surprising Trick to Making Hard Choices: Try Thinking Less

The tactic may seem counterintuitive, but it can help you make tough decisions faster and with more confidence, says decision coach Nell Wulfhart.

Business Insider

New Data Confirms It: Companies Are Hiring Less in Roles That AI Can Do

Most people assume it will take years for AI to reshape the job landscape. But tasks that chatbots can do are already vanishing from job postings.