Pocket's Best of 2021 Is Here
PocketThe year’s most intriguing ideas and indispensable advice, plus the top stories in science, culture, and more.
Discover the best of the web
Today’s essential reads
The Case for Pigeon-Watching
Atlas Obscura · 8 minA new book is part ornithology guide, part ode to the misunderstood urban birds.
How to Identify What You Enjoy
The Atlantic · 28 minThe importance of fun, the cultural distortion of emotions as “good” or “bad,” and how envy points you in the direction of your deepest desires.
College football gone mad
Axios · 2 minIn the span of two days, the head coaches of two of the biggest college football programs in America have jumped ship, wooed by even greater challenges — and the almighty dollar.
Thinking of Sending That Quick 'Love You' Text? Just Do It
WIRED · 7 minEven one message can mean a lot to your family and friends.
Fascinating stories
The Big Bang Is Hard Science. It Is Also a Creation Story.
Nautilus · 7 minEven with its explanatory power, Big Bang theory takes its place in a long line of myths.
How an Excel TikToker manifested her way to making six figures a day
The Verge · 35 minTaking an unconventional route to a conventional business.
Adele 30: The Psychology of Why Sad Songs Make Us Feel Good
The Conversation · 4 minIt may seem odd that we get pleasure from sad songs.
Ten Million a Year
London Review of Books · 22 minAir pollution kills more than ten times as many as the flu every single year, and we hear even less about it.
The Best Music of 2021
The New Yorker · 6 min“I found myself pulled toward albums that were elemental, tender, free.”
Pocket’s Top 10 Stories for November 2021
PocketSaving our knees, investing in friendships, and reconsidering safety.
In the Russian Arctic, One of the Most Polluted Places on Earth
undark.org · 30 minPollution from Norilsk Nickel has plagued a remote town for decades. Now the smelting company says it can go green.
Fall foliage was disrupted by climate change. It might be the new normal.
National Geographic · 7 minFall is a special time of year in the forests along the eastern seaboard, as trees explode in brilliant shades of red and gold.
Local news deserts are expanding: Here’s what we’ll lose
The Washington PostSince 2005, about 2,200 local newspapers across America have closed. Here are some of the stories in danger of being lost — as told by local journalists.
Why Walt Whitman Called America the ‘Greatest Poem’
The Atlantic · 6 minThe 19th-century writer believed that the power of poetry and democracy came from an ability to make a unified whole out of disparate parts.
Why Don’t More Men Take Their Wives’ Last Names?
The Atlantic · 4 minThe vast majority of U.S. adults think a woman should give up her maiden name when she gets married.
Science Explains How to Cook Frozen Beef for the Perfect Steak Dinner
Inverse · 3 minThrow it straight on the grill, it’ll be as if you never froze it at all.
Why We’re Drawn Into Darkness
Nautilus · 8 minAuthor Robert MacFarlane on the awe and horror of subterranean places.
Baklava Recipe
Natasha’s Kitchen · 3 minThis baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and perfectly balanced with honey-lemon syrup. This homemade baklava is so much better than any store-bought version.
Millionaires’ Shortbread Recipe
Country Living · 1 minThree layers of rich goodness—buttery shortbread, gooey caramel, and a thick layer of dark chocolate—make up this well-heeled dessert.