Matthew Sheridan

Tracking a few things about me.

Home Page

Welcome to my wiki. I hope that viewing it provides a quick way to learn useful things.

HVAC

Travel

Car Design

On the top right of this website, you should be able to view "Books" on topics such as Automotive design, personal finance, and setting up the website you are now viewing. I might consolidate some of these into broader shelves, such as on economics and climate change.

I am a mechanical engineer that specializes in making buildings energy efficient. My larger goal is have an impact on stopping climate change and hopefully have other positive impacts along the way.

I believe that education and knowledge is the key to success, whether that be as an individual, or a society. As such, education should be free as possible. Much of my childhood was spent reading webpages, googling and wandering into info on topics that couldn't be taught by those around me. The skills I've gained, I would like to share.

Some topics don't have much info on the internet, such as commercial hvac. Other topics have information you have to piece together through googling, finding bits in forums and youtube videos, etc. I hope I can provide a comprehensive source to connect a lot of these odds and ends, and provide good insight on areas that I've learned through firsthand experience.

Finally, I hope to make this website easy to navigate, and easy to update as time marches on. Many people create a blog but the good bits of wisdom get tucked away, never to be seen unless you scroll through years of posts. Other websites have information that is rigid and very published. I'd like to constantly republish as my views change or as the state of the art improves.

Reading List

2021

Angle of Attack

Skunk Works

The Power Broker (started 2017)

2020

 

2019

Proud of You by Julie Anne Hoffman

Now It Can Be Told by Leslie Groves

The Lost Art of Steam Heating by Dan Holohan

2017

Building the New American Economy by Jeffrey sachs

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

When Breathe Becomes Air

HVAC Instant Answers

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg

The Defining Decade by Meg Jay

2016

R for Everyone by Jared Lander

Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Attempted

Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open

2015

Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air by David MacKay

Tune to Win by Carrol Smith

Engineer to Win by Carrol Smith

Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

2014


2013

The Rise of Depression Economics by Paul Krugman

The Price of Inequality by Joseph Stiglitz

The Price of Civilization by Jeffrey Sachs (Checked out from Library, Not sure if I read this or the Stiglitz book)

2012

College: What is is, Was, and Should Be By Andrew Delbanco


2011

Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

Donations

2021

Shaun Donovan: $100

National Network of Abortion Funds - Fund Texas Choice: $303

2020

Total: $2685

Costa Constantinides: $75

Pete Buttigieg: $100

Bernie Sanders: $100

City Harvest: $500 (with stimulus funds)

SA Food Bank: $500 (with stimulus funds)

Joe Biden for President: $500

Planned Parenthood Action Fund: $500

Theresa Greenfield for Iowa Senate: $100

Warnock and Ossoff for Georgia Senate: $100

Columbia Engineering Financial Aid: $200

Wikimedia Foundation: $10

2019

Total: $263.07

Columbia Engineering Financial Aid: $100

Wikimedia Foundation: $10.40

Kirsten Gillibrand: $5

Cory Booker: $15

Costa Constantinides: $100

Masa-MexEd, Inc.: $32.67

2018

Total: $181

Beto O'Rourke: $100

Wikimedia Foundation: $6

Columbia Engineering Financial Aid: $50

Doug Jones: $12.50

Democratic National Committee: $12.50 (I meant to donate the whole 25 to Jones but I didn't catch actblue had made it 50/50)

2017

Total: $25.16

Columbia Engineering Financial Aid: $20.16

Wikimedia Foundation: $5

2016

Total: $25.16

Columbia Engineering Summer Internships: $20.16

Wikimedia Foundation: $5