The holiday season is a time of goodwill, fellowship--and stressing out overselecting the perfect presents for everyone. If you're having trouble coming up with something for that friend or family member who hangs out in bookstore self-help sections, consider these psychologically oriented finds:
Did Sigmund Freud ever serve food during therapy sessions? Which U.S. president did he psychoanalyze? Find the answers in After-Dinner Freud, a set of 100 "parlor cards" that will truly test your Freudian I.Q. There's no game board or playing pieces--Siggy wouldn't have approved of such a trivial pursuit--so the fun's in quizzing your friends. ($12.95 from Viking, 1-800-253-6476.)
Illusions, on the other hand, is a traditional board game--or so it appears. The challenge here is predicting what your opponent will see in a series of 66 optical illusions, all chosen by psychologist J. Richard Block, Ph.D. Is that a drawing of a man's face--or a yawning rat? You be the judge. ($35.45 from Y&B Associates, Inc., 33 Primrose Lane, Hempstead, NY 11550.)
