Cultural observer Os Guinness examines the American founders' belief that the American republic could remain free forever. He argues that contemporary views of freedom are unsustainable because they undermine the conditions necessary for freedom to thrive, and he proposes steps to restore sustainable freedom.

Living in a "perfect" world without social ills, a boy approaches the time when he will receive a life assignment from the Elders, but his selection leads him to a mysterious man known as the Giver, who reveals the dark secrets behind the utopian facade.