Elements of ML Programming

I started off wondering why the heck should I be learning a language that ls little used outside of the academic when I learned that I had to study this for one of my 2nd year courses.

Then I fell in love with ML. It's a beautiful little language. The book is written in a fun yet clear style. It's a great introduction to functional programming, especially for those from a procedural programming background. Study this book for the concepts that it presents and explains, not just for the language.