Top Book Recommendations by Mike Rowe: Best Books for Success

Mike Rowe is an American television host and narrator best known for his work on the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs. He is also the creator and executive producer of Somebody's Gotta Do It, a documentary-style show on the CNN network.

Rowe was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in the nearby town of Essex. He attended Overlea High School and later graduated from Towson University with a degree in communication. After college, he held jobs such as a sales rep for the QVC shopping channel, a radio host for stations WBAL and WLIF, a voice-over artist for commercials, and a host for the Evening Magazine show on KPIX-TV.

In 2003, Rowe began appearing on Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs, a show that explored different types of manual labor. He served as the host and narrator of the show, visiting various locations around the United States and abroad to highlight the work of laborers in various professions. During his time on the show, Rowe helped popularize the phrase "work smarter, not harder."

In 2014, Rowe launched the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, aiming to help bridge the skills gap in the United States by promoting and supporting skilled labor and trade education. The Foundation works with organizations to provide job training and scholarships for individuals seeking to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

In 2015, Rowe started a podcast called The Way I Heard It, which features short stories and anecdotes from his life and career. He also launched a web series on Facebook called Returning the Favor, in which he travels the country in search of people doing extraordinary things to help others.

Rowe has won numerous awards for his work, including two Emmy Awards, a Genesis Award, and three People's Choice Awards. He is a member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability and has been named a Fellow by the George W. Bush Institute.