Lessons on how to build a rich life full of purpose and beauty.

“Sing the song that only you can sing, write the book that only you can write, build the product that only you can build… live the life that only you can live.”

— Naval Ravikant

Hi, I’m Adam Oxsen. I’ve been in the energy industry for twenty-plus years, but I like Italian tailoring and I wear belgian loafers (not exactly typical for my industry). I went to film school, made a B-movie after college, sold it to Lionsgate, and then decided to set filmmaking aside. I love to cook with my wife and to eat well. Oh, and I like to nerd out on wine. In fact, we used to host a monthly wine club in our home. “Jack of all trades, master of none” isn’t exactly what I set out to accomplish, but my curiosity has led me down various twists and turns along the way.

“My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.”

— Winston Churchill

I wholeheartedly agree with the above statement. And whether it was Churchill or Wilde who said it first, how does one define “the best”? What makes Chateau d’Yquem the best of Sauternes, nay, the best white wine in the world? What differentiates a Rolex from a Timex? What makes a book worth reading, discussing, and re-reading over and over again? Is it all a useless pursuit? Is it vanity of vanities to appreciate, own, or want the best things?

“It is God’s unrelenting love of all the stuff of this world that keeps it in being at every moment.”

— Robert Farrar Capon

I firmly believe that materialism matters, and that the creative act is knit into our very being. I believe that when the watchmaker, poet, engineer, or artist taps into their inherent creativity, they are connecting with the divine. That act is an echo of the beginning of creation. And so the stories we chase down on this project will be reflective of that divine spark in creativity.

“I feel like there’s some creative energy behind it. We have help. When we’re making something beautiful, we have help. We’re not working alone.”

— Rick Rubin

Why you should trust me in your inbox

I’m hoping to plumb these ideas and questions here. Each week, I plan to read a book, mine it for the wealth and wisdom it might contain, and then do my best to sum it up in both podcast and newsletter form. The through line? “What is the good life?”

Subscribe to get full access to the podcast, newsletter and Wealth of Wisdom archives. Consider joining the Wisdom & Wine Society. Each month I will send a list of wine(s) for you to purchase. We’ll taste and discuss the wines via Substack Live, and discuss the ideas we’re exploring here.

“Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.”

— Solomon, son of David, King in Jerusalem