Some including SJ might say otherwise, but it seems to me the fastest and best way to learn and play "GURPS Lite" is to play The Fantasy Trip, which SJG just republished.
It's the super-easy-to-learn and play version of the same type of RPG, which also comes has a setting, and several adventures available with quite a few more on the way.
Character creation is easy, and if you're ok with it just being low-tech, it's a great into to the type of game. Most of the main things I like about GURPS are in TFT. I've always related to GURPS as "advanced, detailed, toolbox TFT that addresses the limits of TFT and can be used for any type of game."
It seems to me that TFT checks the complaints mentioned above about ease of learning, simple damage model, fast character generation, existence of a setting to get started with, etc.
(I usually choose to play GURPS in TFT mode - fantasy medieval with lots of detailed tactical combat.)