There are several interesting and perspective-stretching compilations of writings on individualism, bringing together texts that are in the public domain but not necessarily widely circulated or widely known. “Individualism: A Reader” is one such compilation, assembled by Libertarianism.org. There’s a useful introduction which compares the anti-individualism of Karl Marx with the ambivalence towards individualism of Alexis de Tocqueville and the wholehearted embrace of individualism by E.L. Godkin, who thought of it as a fundamental character trait of the American.The writers gathered together in the compilation range from Oscar Wilde to St. Augustine. The book is a treasure trove to dip into again and again.