The very long history of Macau and of the Macanese people has many stories. This book tells more than forty of them, mostly about the Macanese people themselves. There are stories about institutions and buildings, about achievements and disasters. When light passes through a prism, it is refracted in many different ways. So it is with this book. It is not a history of Macau, but tells how that history has produced so many stories, some of which are familiar, while others will surprise many readers. The common theme that unites them all is that they all throw light on the story of the Macanese people and the many experiences they have had, mostly in Macau, and a few elsewhere, especially in Hong Kong. While there is a variety of stories in this book, there are thousands more waiting to be told.