Mike Rowe on 'Glenn Beck Radio Program': We don't reward risk anymore

Television host Mike Rowe joined conservative talk radio host Mike Broomhead as he filled in on the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Thursday. Broomhead spoke with Rowe about who and what inspired him to do all the work he does around the country, and what has made him so successful.

Rowe spoke of his experience growing up around his grandfather who went from having only a seventh-grade education to being a master electrician, architect and mechanic by the time he was 35. He explained it is because of his family experience that he understands the working class that many others often forget about.

"I had a front-row seat to the kinds of jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us from the jump," Rowe said.

He also explained that what he admired most about his grandfather was that he had the ability to sit down and put together a piece of machinery, a quality Rowe said he did not inherit, adding, "What I got was a genuine interest and respect for that work."

Rowe and Broomhead discussed the concept of risk in our society, how it shapes people, and how it relates to his success.

"I would never suggest that the world would be better if it were more dangerous, but I would suggest that we've tried so hard, and succeeded in so many ways, to eliminate risk from life," Rowe said. "It's all very well-intended, but the truth is, there was a time in the country when people got paid based on their willingness to assume a level of risk. We don't see that much anymore."