Max is a novel by Howard Fast. It is about the life of Max Britsky, a poor Jewish kid who grows up to be an entrepreneur during the infancy of the motion picture business. He eventually becomes one of the first major studio owners and one of the richest people in America. Though a shrewd businessman, his people skills leave much to be desired. Emotionally devoid, he loses his first wife through affairs with some of the starlets and secretaries that work for him. By the end of his life, he loses his studios and theaters and dies a very wealthy, but lonely man.