message of the quran


The Message of the Qur'an is a translation into English and interpretation of the Qur'an by Muhammad Asad, an Austrian Jew who converted to Islam. The book was first published in Gibraltar, Spain, in 1980, and has since been translated into several other languages. Many consider it one of the most influential Quranic Translations of the 
modern age. 

His translation can be purchase in physical book form here: 
     The Message of the Qur'an

It is certainly the best translation to present to a newcomer to Islam whose background is heavily versed in the Old and New Testaments. 

One related book, worth mentioning here, is The Road to Mecca - wherein the author documents his own spiritual path to the deen.