Dying inside.

From the back cover:

David Selig is outwardly unimpressive. His early promise as a student and scholar is unrealised. He has no proper job, he has no girlfriend. But, inside, Selig has the power of a god, for he can probe other people's minds and read their thoughts and feelings. This extraordinary faculty defines his sense of self -- his power is him. But with the onset of middle age, Selig's capacity to read minds is failing fast, and he must struggle to come to terms with that loss -- to accept that he is dying inside...