If you were around in the late 1960s and ’70s, you could not go anywhere without seeing the works of Peter Max. 

He didn’t necessarily create the psychedelic movement but he certainly made it his own. His artwork exploded with color and passion, and his far-out perspective gave face to the Cosmic ’60s.

Now in his 70s, he is still vibrant, still impassioned and still creating stunning works of art. He’s also released a fascinating book that tells the tale of his amazing life. From his birth in Germany, fleeing the Nazis, to living in China, Tibet, Paris and Israel before settling in Brooklyn, where he would change the world, he delves into it all in “The Universe of Peter Max.”

Peter describes how he thinks he was the right artist at the right time and able to use the new mass-media environment to his advantage, including many appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. 

He describes his decades-long friendship with Paul McCartney and the recent day they spent together when they both canceled all their appointments to spend the day catching up. 

Thanks to his vegetarian diet and workouts, Peter says he doesn’t feel like he’s a day over 40. 

And wait until you hear about his current painting routine, which includes an in-house DJ spinning tunes for him the entire time.