Yup...Kev's right. For learning MEL, Mark's book would be a great start.

Maya fundamentals 4.5 is great for getting started. I have the 4.0 version and learned alot. There are tons of videos going over each step for every chapter which helps quite a bit.

If you want something that goes more into detail into every little thing, the new Maya 4.5 saavy looks good, also.