PREFACE
The Golden Autumn is coming.
Macao had previously experienced a natural disaster which said to be the worst in a century, and the typhoon "Hato" revealed that life is very fragile and human strength is insignificant before the power of nature. However, we could see genuine feelings and sympathy between each other in times of adversity. During the typhoon, we can see positive energy everywhere that the vulnerable armored concrete are defeated by the humanity, it presents to us what a city full of humanity ought to be.
Reading helps us to know about how to deal with natural disasters. And I remember there is a bestseller over the past ten years about survival strategies called Survival Strategies Handbook – A Valuable Book about How to Survive in All Situations from an Accident to Natural Disaster. Although the name of this book is a bit long, the book author uses pictures to explain and illustrate how to deal with natural disasters with simple terms and in an impressive way. If you read this handbook carefully several times, you will definitely learn the most basic methods for survival and probably you will also find ways to simply maintain the will to survive. No matter how old you are, it is a valuable handbook worth reading.
"Author's Say" section in the magazine this week introduces the Garden of Heaven, a "practical" route map with pictures. With this map, the history of the British Empire and the relationship between Christians and Macao can be recreated and brought to life again.
Speaking of flexibility, every part in the Books and the City is useful and the selected topics are totally practical. Library User's Guide, which is introduced in this issue, is said to be beneficial for people who want to visit different Macao public libraries. And it would be easier for readers to know about libraries if they have this user's guide in hand. With the help of the strictly selected books from major book reviewers, we can use a month for reading to get our souls recovered, the other month to help restoring Macao. I am convinced that Macao will recover from Typhoon Hato and shine again before winter.