THE RICUS ADAMS  draws on the experience of an antiquarian book dealer, a friend of the author who found herself in possession  of an association copy of “The Education of Henry Adams,” one of only a hundred first printed for early review by Adams’ acquaintances. Her discovery was made in the 1980’s when dealers still published lists of their collectable books, before computers and the internet transformed the business, giving access to any book anywhere.  Here a novice used-book dealer, influenced by eccentric colleagues on the antiquarian circuit, faces an ethical dilemma with her chance acquisition of the Adams volume.