Segall presents this book based on 20 years of research spurred by her experiences in Kurdistan in the early 1990s, which she refers to as the "forgotten spring" in analogy to the recent Arab Spring. The text focuses on the role of gender and media representation of conflicts over democracy and political power in the Middle East and Africa. Choosing different case studies to illustrate different aspects of resistance and growing power, chapters address healing after ethnic cleansing in Kurdistan, generational gaps among Shiite women, sectarian media and transregional identities, gendered youth culture in Baghdad, intergenerational politics in the film Persepolis, guerilla fighters and democracy in Africa, the huge influence of 9/11 on media, and the ritual of rebellion in formation of new democracies. The conclusion recaps how asymmetric media coverage of contentious political events can distort the Western view of how democracy originates and operates. Notes, references, and index are extensive and take up approximately a quarter of the page count. Annotation ©2014 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)