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Profoundly Disconnected
About the Book... It's true. Mike Rowe has written a book. A real book. The print isn't even dry and already they're flying off our virtual shelves. You won't find it on Amazon and in fact, this is the only place you can buy it. Grab one for yourself and a friend (they make great gifts) by clicking one of the buttons below. While Mike was in the writing mode, he also asked us to include a personal note from him to you: . Before any money changes hands, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I wish to make a few things unmistakably clear about my new book, "Profoundly Disconnected®, A True Confession From Mike Rowe." First and foremost, it ain't Moby Dick. In fact, the actual manuscript is only one page. As pages go, this one is very, very solid, but it is what it is and I feel compelled to manage expectations at the outset. Toward that end, it's probably best to evaluate this book as something more than another hopeful bestseller from another B-list celebrity. This is a fundraiser. All the proceeds go to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, to be used for Work Ethic Scholarships and advocacy campaigns surrounding American manufacturing. Having said that, I can say with a straight face that every responsible citizen who cares about the future of our country should buy this book as soon as possible. Thanks - Mike Rowe, Dirty Jobs, etc.
155 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
945 people want to read
About the author
Mike Rowe
31 books418 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Michael Gregory Rowe is an American television host and narrator. He is known for his work on the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs and the series Somebody's Gotta Do It originally developed for CNN. He hosted a series produced for Facebook called Returning the Favor in which he found people doing good deeds and did something for them in return. He also hosts a podcast titled The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe.
Rowe has narrated programs on the Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, and National Geographic Channel such as Deadliest Catch, How the Universe Works, and Shark Week. He has also appeared in commercials for firms such as the Ford Motor Company.
Michael Gregory Rowe is an American television host and narrator. He is known for his work on the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs and the series Somebody's Gotta Do It originally developed for CNN. He hosted a series produced for Facebook called Returning the Favor in which he found people doing good deeds and did something for them in return. He also hosts a podcast titled The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe.
Rowe has narrated programs on the Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, and National Geographic Channel such as Deadliest Catch, How the Universe Works, and Shark Week. He has also appeared in commercials for firms such as the Ford Motor Company.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 17, 2014
Mike Rowe is a man I will stop my day to listen to, whether he's giving a speech or writing down his thoughts. I began as a fan of Dirty Jobs, but his dedication to the cause of understanding just what it is about Americans and hard work that has us all so twisted (and putting his money and talents where his mouth is with all of his organized efforts to help fix a persistent and growing problem) has kept me following him post-show.
I bought this book because the money goes to his foundation (he readily and profusely admits that it's partly a gimmick with that monetary end), but also because I figured it would be a one-stop place to get all of his best ideas that I might not have heard yet in one comprehensive package. It is. This book, through a series of collected speeches, articles, Q&As and online responses, collects Mike's Rowe's thoughts on his overarching idea that America is "profoundly disconnected" when it comes to work. Anyone who follows him in any way knows about his passion and dedication to helping to fix this, and the book, for all its slightly gimmicky presence, is a printed embodiment of that passion.
A solid read that will make you think about the economy, jobs, and the college degree(s) hanging on your wall in a whole new way. Also, the purchasing price goes to a good cause.
I realize this sounds more like a review of Mike Rowe than his book, but if you read it you'll understand that they're basically the same thing.
I bought this book because the money goes to his foundation (he readily and profusely admits that it's partly a gimmick with that monetary end), but also because I figured it would be a one-stop place to get all of his best ideas that I might not have heard yet in one comprehensive package. It is. This book, through a series of collected speeches, articles, Q&As and online responses, collects Mike's Rowe's thoughts on his overarching idea that America is "profoundly disconnected" when it comes to work. Anyone who follows him in any way knows about his passion and dedication to helping to fix this, and the book, for all its slightly gimmicky presence, is a printed embodiment of that passion.
A solid read that will make you think about the economy, jobs, and the college degree(s) hanging on your wall in a whole new way. Also, the purchasing price goes to a good cause.
I realize this sounds more like a review of Mike Rowe than his book, but if you read it you'll understand that they're basically the same thing.
March 26, 2014
Let me preface this with a bit of a disclaimer, I consider this book to be more of a free gift for a donation to The MikeRoweWorks Foundation. In that respect, I think it is fine. This isn't really a book, it is a foreword, a single paragraph, and then half of the book is comprised of blank pages, and the other half are previously published articles and interviews. I enjoyed having those interviews and articles in one place and they all carry Mike's message loud and clear and offer a lot to think about.
My issue is with the blank pages. I feel like they were a pretty weak cop-out. Mike offers a short piece in the opening of the book where he begins to describe his first foray into what later became Dirty Jobs and it was excellent, but he stops short of telling the tale which was entirely engrossing and then you hit into the blank pages. That bothered me. I wanted to overlook it and ignore it but I can't. I feel like it was an easy way out. He would have had to write 40-50 pages of content, heck with a photo and title page for each vignette even less. It could have still contained the articles/interviews to pad it out and it would have been something with some real substance instead of what comes off feeling too gimmicky and empty. I also feel like it is in a bit of poor taste to not just write a few pages of text especially when the point is hard work, ethics, and honoring people that do a lot more strenuous jobs than sitting at a keyboard for a bit. I wanted desperately to shake those feelings but ultimately I couldn't.
I'm happy to support his efforts and message and I would have gladly donated with or without the book, but if you are going to offer and make a book, make it count.
My issue is with the blank pages. I feel like they were a pretty weak cop-out. Mike offers a short piece in the opening of the book where he begins to describe his first foray into what later became Dirty Jobs and it was excellent, but he stops short of telling the tale which was entirely engrossing and then you hit into the blank pages. That bothered me. I wanted to overlook it and ignore it but I can't. I feel like it was an easy way out. He would have had to write 40-50 pages of content, heck with a photo and title page for each vignette even less. It could have still contained the articles/interviews to pad it out and it would have been something with some real substance instead of what comes off feeling too gimmicky and empty. I also feel like it is in a bit of poor taste to not just write a few pages of text especially when the point is hard work, ethics, and honoring people that do a lot more strenuous jobs than sitting at a keyboard for a bit. I wanted desperately to shake those feelings but ultimately I couldn't.
I'm happy to support his efforts and message and I would have gladly donated with or without the book, but if you are going to offer and make a book, make it count.
October 31, 2014
Great book, in its own way. Rowe makes no apologies about this being a promotion for his initiative, mikeroweWORKS. And the articles in the appendix (which makes up half the book) are rather repetitive.
But it's a message worth repeating.
There are jobs available in this country, good jobs, that are going unfilled. Why? Because they're not "good" jobs, as in office-type, need-a-degree-type jobs. These are openings in the skilled trades, jobs like welder, pipefitter, plumber, etc. The current employees are aging out - and there's not a long line waiting to replace them. Shop classes have all but disappeared from schools, as every child is prepped for college.
Mike's point is this: a good job is what you do, not what the position is. There's nothing wrong with hard work, except there are many who simply do not want to work hard. Not anymore. And he's right about being scared about this country's infrastructure - who's going to fix things when they break, if no one is learning how to fix them?
Don't get me wrong - I love my job. I also work very hard when I'm on the job. But there are days I wish I had gotten the training that Mike is pushing, something that would be a skill that I could take just about anywhere. There are days I really think I should have been a plumber; no one likes them, but no one is willing to live without them. If you're interested in learning a trade, check out his website, profoundlydisconnected.com and look at the scholarships. Perhaps there's something out there for you, a good job just waiting to be filled - by you.
But it's a message worth repeating.
There are jobs available in this country, good jobs, that are going unfilled. Why? Because they're not "good" jobs, as in office-type, need-a-degree-type jobs. These are openings in the skilled trades, jobs like welder, pipefitter, plumber, etc. The current employees are aging out - and there's not a long line waiting to replace them. Shop classes have all but disappeared from schools, as every child is prepped for college.
Mike's point is this: a good job is what you do, not what the position is. There's nothing wrong with hard work, except there are many who simply do not want to work hard. Not anymore. And he's right about being scared about this country's infrastructure - who's going to fix things when they break, if no one is learning how to fix them?
Don't get me wrong - I love my job. I also work very hard when I'm on the job. But there are days I wish I had gotten the training that Mike is pushing, something that would be a skill that I could take just about anywhere. There are days I really think I should have been a plumber; no one likes them, but no one is willing to live without them. If you're interested in learning a trade, check out his website, profoundlydisconnected.com and look at the scholarships. Perhaps there's something out there for you, a good job just waiting to be filled - by you.
January 24, 2015
While I love what Mike Rowe believes about STEM being more than just women in computer science, this book was largely a collection of work that was dated. I was lured into buying the book because of Mikes blog--it is full of eloquent, straight to the point, rational points that speak to his focus on completing the mission of retooling our most basic skill sets to run our country's infrastructure. The book is largely flat as if it was merely a checkbox item to complete.
If it's your first exposure to the issues--then you'll love this easy to read, entertaining book and feel good about the donation you've made to MikeWorks. If you're more familiar, you'll be wanting more-
Mike-we love hearing more of what you have to say---so freshen the data, come up with an ebook (broaden your distribution) and give us more of your charm.
If it's your first exposure to the issues--then you'll love this easy to read, entertaining book and feel good about the donation you've made to MikeWorks. If you're more familiar, you'll be wanting more-
Mike-we love hearing more of what you have to say---so freshen the data, come up with an ebook (broaden your distribution) and give us more of your charm.
July 6, 2018
Mike Rowe does such a good job of breaking down what's wrong in the work force and work attitude today in the US. I admire how he politely yet pointedly answers criticism and complaining.
April 6, 2020
This was a difficult rating. The rating is mainly for what Mike Rowe’s Foundation is doing to help folks get into infrastructure careers, which don’t require college. The book consists of some essays and editorials which have appeared in other publications. There are a lot of blank pages, just to make it look like a book.
That is fine with me, as all proceeds from the book go to support his foundation. Just be aware this isn’t really a ‘book’.
Good luck to Mike on his endeavor!
That is fine with me, as all proceeds from the book go to support his foundation. Just be aware this isn’t really a ‘book’.
Good luck to Mike on his endeavor!
January 14, 2021
What can you say about a book that is only one page long?
In his own concise style, Rowe drives home the point that we desperately need smart people in the trades, willing to get dirty and work hard, for our society to function. I learned this lesson the hard way with my own son, and thankfully learned it before there as a massive college debt. Read the page. Take the Pledge. Share with a friend. Support the skilled trades.
In his own concise style, Rowe drives home the point that we desperately need smart people in the trades, willing to get dirty and work hard, for our society to function. I learned this lesson the hard way with my own son, and thankfully learned it before there as a massive college debt. Read the page. Take the Pledge. Share with a friend. Support the skilled trades.
July 20, 2023
S2V2L2
October 27, 2023
This is a fake book, but I still enjoyed the contents. Mike is making people think.
August 4, 2015
"Amen"! One word that truly sums up Mike's book. There really is no need to write more, but for those wanting more of a review... Mike Rowe says it all so well in this book. I loved his blunt truth on the state of our economy, colleges, working hard, and hardly working.
The middle of the book totally made me giggle! ;) Though I totally understand this book is for supporting the trades, and you can't get it from any library or bookstore...I wish it would pass through the young hands of ever student in school today. As a homeschool parent, it will be a required read in our home. There is just something refreshing about good honest hard work and real life experience. But never the less after you read this you will agree. "Amen" sums it all up! ;)
The middle of the book totally made me giggle! ;) Though I totally understand this book is for supporting the trades, and you can't get it from any library or bookstore...I wish it would pass through the young hands of ever student in school today. As a homeschool parent, it will be a required read in our home. There is just something refreshing about good honest hard work and real life experience. But never the less after you read this you will agree. "Amen" sums it all up! ;)
March 29, 2014
A quick read, well-done, intelligent, but mostly Important! Important! Important! Everyone should read this. Did I mention it's important? Go, Mike Rowe, go! More and more of us will be listening! I'll be getting your message out to as many as I can, starting with getting your book into the hands of those here in my own town that are also concerned with this very issue, and hopefully it will be useful in their cause.
November 5, 2016
Bringing his usual mix of dry humor, astute observation, and straight talk to the topic of preparing our youth for careers. Adamant that the worst piece of advice ever is to tell kids to follow their passion, Rowe says instead we need to teach kids to bring their passion with them. There's plenty worth considering in this "all proceeds go to charity" book.
February 12, 2015
More a donation for his foundation, MikeRoweWORKS, than an actual book, this was nevertheless a wonderful read. Even if I don't agree with him all the time, I think Rowe has the right idea regarding jobs in the U.S.
January 2, 2018
Half-way thru this book, I promised to make it a required read for my children when they are deciding their own career paths. When I finished the book, I promised to print out the SWEAT Pledge, poster-sized, and hang it in a prominent place in our home.
April 17, 2014
Their are a limited number of copies to be purchased at Mike Rowe's Profoundly Disconnected website through ebay.
March 9, 2014
Nice easy read hard to get through without a smile.
March 25, 2014
quick and excellent read. a must buy
April 10, 2014
Love the content of his message, just wish the stories were a little less repetitive
April 14, 2014
Not often that you get to read an entertaining book, with an important message and make a donation to a worthy cause. In fact this could have been a first. Buy this book.
December 16, 2014
Mike Rowe for President.
January 3, 2017
Some good points, but it felt like a sales pitch for the Mike Rowe works foundation.
September 10, 2017
Love Mike Rowe even more after reading his book!
May 3, 2018
So much honesty in this book and extremely relevant to my current employer. Hopefully, I can take a few lessons from this read back to work with me. We need more people in the US to think this way.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews