I would very much like to read what a typical young Muslim would read about the life of Muhammad.
Shout out to sln26 http://www.reddit.com/user/sln26 for recommending The Sealed Nectar by Mubarakpuri, my search is over. Thanks all.
I am a high school Islamics teacher, and I recommend Life of Muhammad, the Prophet by Rizvi. It is approx 120 pages, fairly simple text, but written in good English (not a translation).
In the western world, Tariq Ramadan's book is arguably the most popular after Martin Lings. If you want something that Muslims all over the world read, that would be The Sealed Nectar by Mubarakpuri. I think the other two are better written (not a fan of the translation) but it's the most widely read.