I just finished listening to The Crisis of Islam (ISBN: 0679642811) by Bernard Lewis and I found it to be a fascinating "read". Much of the book goes through the history of Islam and touches on a number of important differences between Islam and Christianity as well as Islam and the perception of Islam.

I wouldn't want to use it as a single source, but it did shine a light on some things I was heretofore unaware of, and I have been able to confirm some of them with alternate sources.

The book also treats the issue of "Islamic Fundamentalism" and describes the origin and current (albeit short) history of the movements in modern Muslim countries.

From a convenience factor, I have to say that listening to books via Audible on my iPod while I work out certainly is convenient.