I think I would thoroughly read my spellbook the first time I get it. After realizing the task is daunting and requires a lot of effort, I would start skimming it and taking notes. I'm good at quickly gathering the most important points of difficult technical manuals - it's basically what I do as a job. I would spend a good amount of time trying to develop my magic, and would keep detailed account of any difference in the spellbook, formulating a model for its growth speed. At that point I would cut the time I spend checking in on the manual based on my model until I figure the model needs refining. I guess I would also keep checking the part I wish would change next just like how I check Facebook compulsively.

I agree that magic would be significantly different from modern world technology, because it is non-standard, personal and exciting. If magic was commonplace, I would not bother reading my spellbook, it would be one of those things like "properly backup your computer" that I just know I should do but don't ever do anyway.