An Interview with Daniel Ford, author of Reality Check

Daniel Ford is a podcaster and author whose books have been sold in both Britain and America. He is best known for his podcasting. Ford presents a news and current events show called Paper View, now in its fifth year, which sees Ford reviewing newspaper articles and placing them in what he calls their ‘true context’ and ‘the story behind the story.’

Ford also presents an interview show, Second Opinion, in which he talks to experts in their field for another take on current events. The podcasts combined have garnered over 130,000+ plays and downloads worldwide.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

From a very young age, I demonstrated an ability with words beyond my age. I always wanted to be an author. I want to use my writing to inspire people to reflect on, and question, their true nature and the world around them. Books are the most effective way, I think, of achieving this goal.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

I am fascinated by the nature of reality. I also find human perception intriguing—Why do people think what they do? How do we see the world? How are we manipulated to see the world and current events? Reality Check dives deep into the human psyche to examine human perception and how to set our minds, and therefore our world, free. The book explores how human perception is formed, maintained and perpetuated and thus provides the ultimate answer to true freedom.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I had the title, Reality Check, before I started writing the book. I came up with it instantly. The title relates to the fact that the book explores the nature of what we call ‘physical’ reality, but also to the way the book very strongly emphasizes the need to question our perceptions and beliefs about reality, the true nature of self and world events.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

“Think for Yourself” – The Beatles

“The End” – The Beatles

“The Spin” – Drake Bell

“Another Brick in the Wall” – Pink Floyd

“Uprising” – Muse

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

Rupert Sheldrake – Science Set Free

Michael Talbot – The Holographic Universe

Neil Hague – Orion’s Door

Steve Taylor – The Fall

Christopher Knight, Alan Butler – Who Built the Moon?

D.S Allan and J.B. Delair – When the Earth Nearly Died

Tom Cowan, Sally Fallon Morell – The Contagion Myth

Sam Bailey; Torsten Engelbrecht; Claus Koehnlein; Stefano Scoglio; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Virus Mania

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

The theme of the book is to question everything, right down to the nature of reality itself. I would like readers to open their minds to other possibilities and perspectives. I would like readers to question what authority, media and education tells them and form their own percpetions from their own investigation and consideration.