Here's my pick for this week of longer articles from all over the web. If you've got a Kindle or other eReader, consult the first in this series for how to send them straight from your browser to your device to enjoy later

Why it’s kicking off everywhere – Paul Mason

Mason’s speaking notes from a lecture he gave recently at the LSE. He examines the unrest all over the world and concludes that it derives from the desire, as Orwell identified in 1942, people have to live “the decent, fully human life which is now technically achievable” but instead of the hundred years Orwell prescribes, they’ve realised they can demand it now.

The Art of the Obituary – Harry de Quetteville

A fascinating insight into how an obituary comes together from the Telegraph’s obituaries editor. Includes the wonderful story of a woman who rang up to ask if the paper would consider running an obituary on her recently deceased husband. When asked how long ago he had died, she replied ““Oh, about 15 minutes ago. He’s right here.”

Inside the Burmese spring – Emma Larkin

Comprehensive and nuanced account, published in The New Republic, of the emerging sense of hope in Burma.

Europe at bay – Jeremy Harding

The London Review of Books never lets you down when you want a really scholarly essay on something, and this epic by Jeremy Harding on immigration and multiculturalism is another excellent example.

What advice would Janice Turner give her 80-year-old self? – Janice Turner

Apologies for those who can’t get behind the paywall, but this one was too good not to include just for that reason. Times columnist examines what it’s really like to be old, through the prism of her own ailing parents’ experience and with the help of an ageing makeover. A very moving warning of what we all have to expect, and how little we are prepared for it.

Tags: Weekend reads