This book is about Singapore, all 50 years of it as an independent nation. But it is not a history book, or about its politics or its national leaders. It is about the people of Singapore and the stories they have to tell, in their own words. Collectively, they tell the story of a people overcoming the odds to build a nation. As Singapore marks its 50th anniversary, their stories, in this book commissioned by the National Library Board and produced by Straits Times Press, are worth celebrating.