Freudian Slips: Cartoons on Psychology

Being a professor of psychology many, if not most cartoons in this small book were on target. The author has been able to point out many follies of psychologists and ordinary human beings. I did not give five stars because I did not like he drawing style of Harris. This is, of course, matter of taste. The humor is great.

As he's done with other professionals and scientists, Harris takes a playful swipe at pop psychology and the brain care industry. There's that psychologist on the phone, for example, telling his patient to "Have a couple of dreams and call me in the morning," or the startled senior citizen announcing, "My inner child just turned sixty five." Another guy sits in a park, crawling with little demons labeled lust, passion, desire, and libido; as an attractive woman approaches, he alerts them: "Hey guys, wake up." Seeing these figurative expressions come to life gives a few good giggles, as does Harris's sly stabs at the self-helpers and their effect on common culture. In others, healthy cynicism dumps a bit of ridicule where it will do the most good. For example, I think of today's media when I see a man reading the newspaper's front page: "Headlines Alarm People, Create Fear and Dread." -- wiredweird