Presents of mind

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.)

Who can resist an in-depth computer analysis of their personality?
The Insight Game, a self-proclaimed "psychologist on a disk," provides a
detailed description of your leadership style, work habits, and romantic
needs. While modestly billed as a game, the program bases its analyses on
the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality classification system used
by many therapists. ($89.95 from the Leadership Dimension,
502-473-1931.)

Finally, the ultimate stress relief: circling the globe in a
55-foot sailboat. If you've got 14 months to kill, a French firm called
East-West will chauffeur you and 13 other sightseers around the world in
425 days. Scuba dive, sunbathe, spend an entire year wondering if you
turned off the oven. Price: $66,000. (Call East-West at
011-33-153-891333.)

PHOTO (COLOR): Use your Illusions: this game shows you how.